No I’m not trying to say that you’re wrong, I’m just asserting that there isn’t doubt as to whether this is ableism. I don’t want that to discourage you from pointing out bigotry when you see it.
Serious question, we can call people idiots, but retard was very no-no a couple of years ago on mainstream media. Both are old medical terms for the intellectually challenged, I’m not a native speaker and I just would like to know if either is “okay” to use for when someone is “stupid”, like here where they at least act stupid.
What you’re referring to is the historical use of a term compared to its contemporary or colloquial meanings. “Idiot,” was indeed used in the past to refer to people with disabilities or mental illnesses, that is very much not the dominant understanding of its meaning today. “Idiot,” today has the meaning of poor intelligence or foolishness, but is not associated with conditions that people imagine result in those poor qualities.
Something like the “r” word is very much associated with mental, genetic, and learning disabilities that are, by its very use, argued to be the cause of the victim’s perceived poor intelligence. They’re calling the person that word regardless of whether they think they have any disorders because they associate those disorders with poor intelligence and also poor social value. It being an insult is dependent on the devaluing of disabled people.
“Idiot,” or “stupid,” do not carry those connotations in culture, they’re only insults referring to the intelligence of the individual(s) they are directed at.
With all that being said, it’s often seen as low-class or immature to resort to these insults at all. You should never use the “r” word as it is a slur directed at an extremely vulnerable group of people and its use reinforces their devalued status.
It’s not too close, this is ableism.
True, that was actually poor wording on my part.
No I’m not trying to say that you’re wrong, I’m just asserting that there isn’t doubt as to whether this is ableism. I don’t want that to discourage you from pointing out bigotry when you see it.
I understood that, and I will continue to point it out, don’t worry about it. But your precision was necessary.
Serious question, we can call people idiots, but retard was very no-no a couple of years ago on mainstream media. Both are old medical terms for the intellectually challenged, I’m not a native speaker and I just would like to know if either is “okay” to use for when someone is “stupid”, like here where they at least act stupid.
What you’re referring to is the historical use of a term compared to its contemporary or colloquial meanings. “Idiot,” was indeed used in the past to refer to people with disabilities or mental illnesses, that is very much not the dominant understanding of its meaning today. “Idiot,” today has the meaning of poor intelligence or foolishness, but is not associated with conditions that people imagine result in those poor qualities.
Something like the “r” word is very much associated with mental, genetic, and learning disabilities that are, by its very use, argued to be the cause of the victim’s perceived poor intelligence. They’re calling the person that word regardless of whether they think they have any disorders because they associate those disorders with poor intelligence and also poor social value. It being an insult is dependent on the devaluing of disabled people.
“Idiot,” or “stupid,” do not carry those connotations in culture, they’re only insults referring to the intelligence of the individual(s) they are directed at.
With all that being said, it’s often seen as low-class or immature to resort to these insults at all. You should never use the “r” word as it is a slur directed at an extremely vulnerable group of people and its use reinforces their devalued status.
Thanks for the thorough explanation!
That’s what I thought roughly.
Why are you self censoring words like that?
Anyways thanks again!
I don’t use slurs that aren’t directed at groups I’m a part of. We do that to denote respect for groups that are harmed by those slurs.