While this may be outside what I would normally post here, it kind of upset me. Look at this screenshot I just found today.
Why am I posting this, well I think Google has recognized a trend in society - that all people that have some sort of difference in their lives are considered ‘retarded’. I personally find this to be a very disturbing trend, and I also find it disturbing how it has become acceptable in society to use the word ‘retarded’ to describe something that was not done correctly or thought out.
Sometimes I wonder how society blindly accepts these phrases that are so rude to use, and uses them frequently without a moment of pause thinking that it is absolutely harmless - but I’m going on a tangent here and getting off track.
My point is, just because someone has some form of disability does not mean there retarded - and even if they are retarded I don’t think its appropriate anymore to call people retarded. Society has turned it into a descriptive word for foolish decision making, and an insult. So take a moment to think about this - what if uses the term ‘That’s So Autistic’ or ‘That’s So Aspergers’ to describe socially foolish behavior that’s not a wise choice to make. Would you find that acceptable behavior? Would you be upset? I would like to take this moment to plug a great website http://www.therword.org - I don’t know who took the time to develop it, but please consider checking it out.
Jul 11, 2008 at 12:11:31
Zach, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Two of my siblings are mentally retarded and neither of them are bad for it. It makes me cry when people toss this word around as if they were in IHOP tossing out delicious pancakes. It hurts that my siblings are being discriminated against. Just the other day, I heard someone say that autistic people are retards. When I went to bed, I cried for an hour before falling asleep because now more of my siblings are being discriminated against, and me, too! Spread the word on banning the “R” word. It hurts us all.
Jul 11, 2008 at 12:17:00
Unbelievable. But maybe not. I have a 33 year old stepdaughter who is mentally challenged. She calls herself “slow”. Her mental ability is around 8 yrs. old. She is a very special individual. The key word is individual. Yes there is a retardation of mental capacity but she is a delight and sees things in a very simplistic way. Something that would help others. Before I knew her, I used the word “retard”. Now I know the difference. Google has put its foot into its mouth. They are acting like the have a mental disability.
Jul 11, 2008 at 13:36:02
Sadderbutwisergirl, are you sure you agree with Zach? If you do, why did you call your brothers “retarded”?
Perhaps this table will help you find better words to use: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/disability_issues/reports/way_with_words/page08.shtml
Jul 11, 2008 at 14:00:27
Google doesn’t “think”, it is an analytical engine that makes associations based on what people search for. I suspect that associate was made based on what people were searching for… it was reflecting the reality searches. It appears that the people at Google have now censored the related search term.
Based on your argument, the word “retarded” should no longer be part of the English language, since it can’t be used to described people who are retarded and shouldn’t be used to describe anything else either. I’m not sure banning words is effective… people need to understand the impact of those words, and when they do the culture around word usage changes.
Perhaps the issue was simply the tense of the word “retards”? If Google had shown the related search as “retarded people” (implying that the search terms “special people” and “retarded people” were similar), would you have been offended?
Jul 11, 2008 at 18:11:23
Um, mentally retardation is a real condition and that’s the only case where “retarded” should be used. I looked at your table and “intellectually disabled” actually seems more insulting than “retarded” to me. “Disabled” implies no ability at all. In terms of learning, my siblings actually do learn new things. It just takes them a longer time than most people. For that same reason, I am offended when people describe dyslexia, Down syndrome, and autism learning disabilities because it implies that those people can’t learn at all. I know that people belonging to all three of those groups can learn, but in different ways.
Jul 11, 2008 at 22:55:39
And then there’s what is implied by thinking that “disability” means unable to do something at all.
I have a friend who self-identifies as retarded, because she has an IQ under 70, and she hates the trend of coming up with new words that end up just as insulting as the old terms in a few years.
Generally I say people with intellectual disabilities because it’s the term I hear most consistently and unambiguously across several countries, but anyone calling themselves what they want — their choice. I’ll use developmental disability but only when I actually mean the entire category (which includes lots of people without an MR label).
If someone calls me a name like retard, mong, whatever though, that’s a whole different thing. My basic response is “Yeah, and glad I’m a retard and not a bigot.” Because those terms are slurs, not descriptors, and as soon as a slur’s used against me I claim it and throw it back and defuse the power of it.
So, three different ways I handle the language thing, depending on three different situations. I call individuals what they want to be called, have a general term I use in general situations (based on what most general groups seem to want plus other specifications), and make special exceptions for slurs thrown at me, which I (with a few exceptions) have no problem at all reclaiming and throwing back with pride.
Jul 16, 2008 at 11:22:58
I can’t help but notice that the automatic advertising machine on the page is currently advertising healthline.com under the heading ‘Mental Retardation: Find the right answers about Autisim [sic] symptoms and treatments.”
Not only implying that we are all mentally retarded, but spelling Autism incorrecly in the process.
Idiots.
Jul 16, 2008 at 11:27:42
@IAintRainMain
The advertising is done automatically by google, but I have to say what you noticed gave me a good laugh.
Jul 17, 2008 at 14:41:31
‘Mentally retarded’ was intended to be a kinder alternative to ‘idiot,’ ‘imbecile,’ and ‘moron’ (all of which once had precise meaning but evolved into pejoratives). Once a kind (and usually condescending) word is chosen, it will inevitably enter slang as an epitaph. I’m all in favor of allowing groups to self-identify with a term that best describes their experience. That should be the way we choose our terminology.
Also, I don’t want to overstate this because this line of reasoning can give fodder to bigots, but it’s normal for people who like and respect each other to tease each other gently. When folks with disabilities are completely off limits they aren’t fully included socially. I still don’t want to be called a ‘faggot’, though.
Jul 20, 2008 at 19:17:51
Hello, yes I think it’s just another one of their computer language recognition slip ups. I was on youtube the other day on paperlilies channel and she’d done a vlog on ‘British Swear words’ and it came up with ‘Swearing Words’, try finding these on e-bay. Also my ex-gf pointed out that where she was involved in refugee work and had a gmail account, she kept getting adverts for ‘find refugees on e-bay’.Makes you wonder why e-bay still participate in adsense because usually it’s ‘ad-non-sense’.