Why are some words ok and others are not?

[Kwhit10]

Ok well I think it is pretty ignorant to defend the use of retard in social conversations.  Gay means happy, and the F word means a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, none of them are acceptable. 

I wasn't defending it for general conversation as it is an insult either way.  But I use it in private conversation if someone acts stupid.

Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. is also a bearing company.

[Rondo2287]

Ok well I think it is pretty ignorant to defend the use of retard in social conversations.  Gay means happy, and the F word means a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, none of them are acceptable. 

I wasn't defending it for general conversation as it is an insult either way.  But I use it in private conversation if someone acts stupid.

Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. is also a bearing company.

Ok and I think that when you do you make light of otherpeoples downfalls that have numerous difficulties through no choice of their own, and I think you should consider why you say certain things and what effect they may have on other people. 

[Kwhit10]

Ok well I think it is pretty ignorant to defend the use of retard in social conversations.  Gay means happy, and the F word means a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, none of them are acceptable. 

I wasn't defending it for general conversation as it is an insult either way.  But I use it in private conversation if someone acts stupid.

Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. is also a bearing company.

Ok and I think that when you do you make light of otherpeoples downfalls that have numerous difficulties through no choice of their own, and I think you should consider why you say certain things and what effect they may have on other people. 

I am not making light of mentally challenged people at all, when I call someone retarded I am calling them stupid (it is one of the definitions). 

Does that mean I shouldn't call anyone stupid (definition: lacking intelligence) because mentally challenged people are technically stupid and it would offend them?

I personally am kind of tired of having to side step everything I say especially in private because everyone is all PC and hoity toity now. 

Believe me, in public I speak in a respective way and don't try to offend anyone.  But in private I will say whatever I [dang]ed well please.

[Rondo2287]

Ok well I think it is pretty ignorant to defend the use of retard in social conversations.  Gay means happy, and the F word means a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, none of them are acceptable. 

I wasn't defending it for general conversation as it is an insult either way.  But I use it in private conversation if someone acts stupid.

Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. is also a bearing company.

Ok and I think that when you do you make light of otherpeoples downfalls that have numerous difficulties through no choice of their own, and I think you should consider why you say certain things and what effect they may have on other people. 

I am not making light of mentally challenged people at all, when I call someone retarded I am calling them stupid (it is one of the definitions). 

Does that mean I shouldn't call anyone stupid (definition: lacking intelligence) because mentally challenged people are technically stupid and it would offend them?

I personally am kind of tired of having to side step everything I say especially in private because everyone is all PC and hoity toity now. 

Believe me, in public I speak in a respective way and don't try to offend anyone.  But in private I will say whatever I [dang]ed well please.

Ya, you have that right of course to say whatever you want.  However Im sure you would be acting differently if this situation hit close to home for you.  Luckily it doesnt appear as though it does.  And if you choose to use a term that is clearly disrespectful thats your choice however I certainly hope that you will choose to show better disgression in the future. 

[Kwhit10]

Ok well I think it is pretty ignorant to defend the use of retard in social conversations.  Gay means happy, and the F word means a cigarette or a bundle of sticks, none of them are acceptable. 

I wasn't defending it for general conversation as it is an insult either way.  But I use it in private conversation if someone acts stupid.

Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline. is also a bearing company.

Ok and I think that when you do you make light of otherpeoples downfalls that have numerous difficulties through no choice of their own, and I think you should consider why you say certain things and what effect they may have on other people. 

I am not making light of mentally challenged people at all, when I call someone retarded I am calling them stupid (it is one of the definitions). 

Does that mean I shouldn't call anyone stupid (definition: lacking intelligence) because mentally challenged people are technically stupid and it would offend them?

I personally am kind of tired of having to side step everything I say especially in private because everyone is all PC and hoity toity now. 

Believe me, in public I speak in a respective way and don't try to offend anyone.  But in private I will say whatever I [dang]ed well please.

Ya, you have that right of course to say whatever you want.  However Im sure you would be acting differently if this situation hit close to home for you.  Luckily it doesnt appear as though it does.  And if you choose to use a term that is clearly disrespectful thats your choice however I certainly hope that you will choose to show better disgression in the future. 

So what word would you recommend to use when describing someone that lacks intelligence?

[Rondo2287]

I would say stupid or dumb or foolish, I dont think that anybody would really have a problem with that, except maybe the person your calling stupid, dumb, or foolish

[Rondo2287]

Oh, ok sorry I didnt realize you were the one that posted the Kanye thing.  Im sorry for calling you out, it wasnt your posting it that bothered me, but when you consider whoever made those, how many other words could they have used, and they chose to go with retarded.  It just shows really poor judgement in my opinion. 

[Kwhit10]

I would say stupid or dumb or foolish, I dont think that anybody would really have a problem with that, except maybe the person your calling stupid, dumb, or foolish

Isn't dumb derogatory towards people who have trouble speaking?

Aren't mentally challenged people stupid or foolish by definition?

[Kwhit10]

Oh, ok sorry I didnt realize you were the one that posted the Kanye thing.  Im sorry for calling you out, it wasnt your posting it that bothered me, but when you consider whoever made those, how many other words could they have used, and they chose to go with retarded.  It just shows really poor judgement in my opinion. 

I didn't even realize it came from the picture I had posted until I had already commented.

[Rondo2287]

Yes again technically you are correct however to argue the social connotations that are implied when saying stupid or foolish compared to retarded is infact a foolish argument.  

[Kwhit10]

Yes again technically you are correct however to argue the social connotations that are implied when saying stupid or foolish compared to retarded is infact a foolish argument.  

What about dumb?

You recommended I should also use that instead, but that is derogatory to people who can't speak.  It's not their fault they can't speak.  So you condone one word on one side but don't condone another on another side.

[Rondo2287]

Again, you may be right about the origins of the word however it is not the current meaning of the word and you know it.  And at this point you are just trolling which is against the rules of this blog

[Kwhit10]

Again, you may be right about the origins of the word however it is not the current meaning of the word and you know it.  And at this point you are just trolling which is against the rules of this blog

No need to call me out on trolling because you made a mistake in your argument.

Have you ever been around a dumb person (person who can't speak) when someone else used the word dumb?  They become offended.

[Rondo2287]

Ok well im pretty sure you may be the only person who thinks that calling somebody dumb and calling somebody retarded are on the same level, but since it bothers you I wont use that word on here anymore.  However I do request that you refrain from posting anymore on this topic.  You have made your point clear that you will not stop using the words retard and retarded.

[fairweatherfan]

Around the early 20th century, the medical terms for people with various degrees of severe cognitive deficits were morons, idiots, and imbeciles (yes, this is true).  Partly because those terms quickly became pejoratives, ~50-60 years ago, they were replaced with mildly, moderately, and profoundly retarded.  Now "retarded" and "retard" are pejorative, so we're moving to replace that.  On the other hand, idiot, imbecile, and moron are pretty much considered run-of-the-mill words for stupidity. 

So, no matter how PC of a term we replace retardation with, there'll quickly be a derogatory term based off it.  And "retarded" will fall back to being an ordinary word for stupid.  I guess what I'm saying is, bring on "intellectually disabled" and let the schoolkids of America do what they do best and make fresh insults from it - we're takin' "retarded" back!