Why do Americans use the word "r*tarded ?

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'Retarded' has the exact same origin as 'idiot', 'moron', 'cretin', and 'imbecile'. The moment you ban words because of their origin is the moment that you lose half of the English language.

Reply 21

Plantagenet Crown

What? British people use it all the time....

Reply 22

George_

Original post by lightburns

'Retarded' has the exact same origin as 'idiot', 'moron', 'cretin', and 'imbecile'. The moment you ban words because of their origin is the moment that you lose half of the English language.

Ahahaha, that picture left me in stitches!

Reply 23

The Angry Stoic

It is a fun word to say. As in the syllabus that make it up. Reeetarrrd. :redface:

Kinda woody. Reeetarrrd. Bowl. Carabao. Intercourse. Erogenous zones!

Reply 24

arkhamz

Original post by cambio wechsel

oh I do wish you wouldn't take the lord's name in vain.

Reply 25

cl_steele

probably because half of their population are retards...

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 26

ufo2012

Original post by Tim2341

Why do Americans use the word "retarded" ? It's a highly offensive word ...

Because it's not actually an offensive word.

Reply 27

ufo2012

Original post by lightburns

Truly hilarious :borat:

Reply 28

LukeM90

I thought you meant when they say R-tarded as in arr-tar-ded, similarly when they say A-rab as in AY-RAB I never got this, it just sounds like they have speech difficulties, but maybe its just a cultural thing.

Either way I'm quite fond of americans, their history and especially their dirty foods, love me some mcmuffins and rootbeer (which I have a mild addiciton too :tongue:

) lol

does that make me r-tarded? :tongue:

Reply 29

natninja

Original post by Tim2341

Why do Americans use the word "retarded" ? It's a highly offensive word in the UK, the word "*******" was used here before it became socially unacceptable many decades ago.

Why have they not recognized how offensive the word is?

it's used in an offensive/derogatory way there too - same way it's used here...

Reply 30

LukeM90

Original post by ufo2012

Truly hilarious :borat:

LOL! nice one

Reply 31

Bloxorus

How is it offensive? Mentally retarded is a medical term!!

Posted from TSR Mobile

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 32

Tim2341

Somebody has already covered it:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110119000459AA3Zx9H

"
[h="1"]Why Is The Word "Retard" Considered Offensive When The Word Emerged To Replace Earlier Labels?[/h] The word "retard" began to be used to describe the "mentally challenged" in the late 19th century to replace words like "idiot", "imbecile" and "moron" all of which had started being used as insults and had originally been used as medical labels for different low IQ ranges. Considering that "retard" was invented for the purpose of not being offensive and all it meant(before being used as a euphemism) is "to slow or impede" suggesting the individual is just "slow" how is it considered offensive now? Also, does the history of the word mean that people who claim it is offensive (and that people who use it are being ignorant) are actually the ones who are ignorant as they are clearly ignorant of the word's history (or they would not consider it offensive)?"

"In most developed countries we have the social and human rights models of disability who advocate for the empowerment of people with disability. Words such as retard are both offensive (like you said) because of the history of the medical model but also because of the social reference since lots of people associate 'retarded' with stupid, idiot, etc so it's only natural that its deemed offensive."

Reply 33

Tim2341

Original post by Bloxorus

How is it offensive? Being mentally retarded is a medical condition!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Because people use it in derogatory sense. Are you ?

Are people missing the fact that it is offensive to make fun of mentally handicapped conditions by using it derog

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 34

desdemonata

Original post by Caedus

Yes, well the 'c' word is a very very naughty word indeed.

I meant a word beginning with 't' actually :smile:

Reply 35

Tim2341

Original post by LukeM90

) lol

does that make me r-tarded? :tongue:

M8 u went off on a tangent, I don't get yr point

american history ? what about their history, it's all bombing the world and civilians, are you informed on this? american history is not to be proud of

Reply 36

Tim2341

Original post by George_

Ahahaha, that picture left me in stitches!

LGBT is a choice

Mentally handicapped isn't

Reply 37

Tim2341

Original post by George_

Ahahaha, that picture left me in stitches!

There's a new cure for lesbianism, it's to do with Serotonin in rats. If you change the levels, the rat becomes straight.

Reply 38

LukeM90

Original post by Tim2341

The first bit because the title was r*tarded I read it as r-tarded (my mistake) so that explains the first bit I meant.

As for the second I mean mainly the wild west (should have clarified) and tbh every country has some grim history to be ashamed of, at some point in every country some arse has came out and done somthing terrible to another, so I dont believe in the whole "blame america" culture.