[nabs-l] Using the word retard

Carly carlymih at earthlink.net
Sun Nov 27 06:05:01 UTC 2011



Hi, Bridgit,

         I often imagine people of so called minorities, being the 
ones who decide how it is that they would like to be referred. Too 
often, people ascribe these meaningless, labels to other groups. 
Like, who ever heard of someone who is "sight impaired?"

I don't know about you but I am just BLIND. I am not possessing of a 
set of actual, eyeballs  which could even be impaired. So To hell 
with all those terms whose function it seems to be, to put whichever 
speaker, at some kind of grater ease. :
>Carly,
>
>I never said we should completely eliminate the word retard from the
>vernacular; I just don't appreciate the use in which most people now say
>the word. It is often said with negative conotations, and I've heard
>people from all age groups apply the word retard to a person, or thing,
>with the intent to demean.
>
>The word itself, yes, means simply slow. It's used in musical
>composition, and it was originally used to describe people with slower
>mental capacities, but it has taken on very negative tones, similar to
>using the word "gay" as in homosexual, except it is often used in a
>negative way and not to simply describe.
>
>Sincerely,
>Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
>Read my blog at:
>http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
>
>"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
>The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan
>
>Message: 9
>Date: Fri, 25 Nov 2011 18:54:40 -0800
>From: Carly <carlymih at earthlink.net>
>To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>         <nabs-l at nfbnet.org>
>Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Body language and facial expressions
>Message-ID: <7.0.1.0.2.20111125171625.01cbae78 at earthlink.net>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed
>
>Hi, Marc, and Bridgit,
>
>          If you notice, the word "retarded"
>simply describes someone who is slower to
>complete brain function.Furthermore, It doesn't
>seem right by anyone's calculations  to,
>effectively and literally as Brigit suggests
>avoid that particular  word altogether, Wouldn't
>Doing so be in some way singling those folks who
>happened to process slower than is the norm, out?
>If one is to get past the idea that, actual
>intent in which something is termed, carries more
>meaning than does  meaningless, verbeage which,
>itself doesn't really communicate anything baring
>substance?I am brain damaged, so my processing
>functions seem  a little bit retarded sometimes
>yet, I most certainly do not appreciate the
>politically, correct construct they came up with,
>that by effectively erasing the concept, of being
>retarded, from the vernacular, so too will those
>unsightlies, be effectively, erased?
>in retardation,
>Carly
>
>
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