Ironically, once upon a time “retarded” was the clinical, politically correct way to refer to the mentally disabled. However, it was discontinued because it became viewed as a pejorative label. Similarly, the terms moron, idiot, cretin, and imbecile were also all legitimate, non-offensive terms used, including by psychiatrists, to refer to people with mental/intellectual disabilities and low intelligence. “Handicapped” and “disabled” are now on thin ice, with “differently abled” making an appearance. I think no matter what label is clinically applied to people who are mentally challenged, it will eventually end up being used as a pejorative and become politically incorrect.
think no matter what label is clinically applied to people who are mentally challenged, it will eventually end up being used as a pejorative and become politically incorrect.
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go with what’s current. Do you call black people “colored”? I hope not, because it is currently offensive (outside of South Africa where it happens to be the preferred term iirc). But the NAACP still has it in the name!
So what?
The R word is offensive now. “Colored” is offensive now.
once upon a time “retarded” was the clinical, politically correct way to refer to the mentally disabled.
This is why I don’t care too much. I get it. Times change. I try to remain politically correct, but I can’t bring myself to care too much when someone drops the R word. And with the internet breeding an army of social justice warriors, terms stray into “don’t say” territory so frequently that it can be hard to keep up.
At this point it’s hard not to trigger someone. And I doubt many mentally handicapped people are here seeing this meme. There’s not a lot of conservatives on Lemmy.
Ironically, once upon a time “retarded” was the clinical, politically correct way to refer to the mentally disabled. However, it was discontinued because it became viewed as a pejorative label. Similarly, the terms moron, idiot, cretin, and imbecile were also all legitimate, non-offensive terms used, including by psychiatrists, to refer to people with mental/intellectual disabilities and low intelligence. “Handicapped” and “disabled” are now on thin ice, with “differently abled” making an appearance. I think no matter what label is clinically applied to people who are mentally challenged, it will eventually end up being used as a pejorative and become politically incorrect.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/euphemism_treadmill
Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go with what’s current. Do you call black people “colored”? I hope not, because it is currently offensive (outside of South Africa where it happens to be the preferred term iirc). But the NAACP still has it in the name!
So what?
The R word is offensive now. “Colored” is offensive now.
This is why I don’t care too much. I get it. Times change. I try to remain politically correct, but I can’t bring myself to care too much when someone drops the R word. And with the internet breeding an army of social justice warriors, terms stray into “don’t say” territory so frequently that it can be hard to keep up.
At this point it’s hard not to trigger someone. And I doubt many mentally handicapped people are here seeing this meme. There’s not a lot of conservatives on Lemmy.
“Special” and “Special Needs” fell through the thin ice and are treading water…
They’re Schrodinger’s offensive terms.