I am a Gen X-er who's part of the Political Correctness generation so I rejoice when I see America as a society make every effort to remove the stigma of words and phrases that hurt others and tear them down. But , I am having some trouble with the way we are addressing this issue with regards to the word retarded. I grew up in a small community in California, and I remember seeing kids who were treated special. They did have a special bus that was equipped to accommodate them and yes, because there was a considerably smaller number of them, their bus was shorter in length than the one we boarded to and from school. And we were told it was because they were Special Needs children. Not retarded. Not stupid. Not idiots.
These children were let out to recess before the rest of us. They were taken to the front of the line . They even had their own Lunch time separate from the rest of us. Why ? Because these were children with special needs. They were not called retards. I was taught that the word retard was another word for idiot or stupid. That it basically meant the same thing and was used in the same context. I was never taught that it was used in reference to people who were mentally disabled , had downs syndrome or was physically handicapped, but rather people who were what society considers normal that were just acting inappropriate.
That's why I am confused as to why the use of the word retarded is being treated differently than use of the word idiot and stupid. They all have the same meanings and yes, they were all used, at some time in the far distant past, to medically diagnose a person with special needs, but that was a long time ago. I thought society had changed the context in the use of the word retarded the same way we changed the context of the words idiot and stupid.
So, when I see people like Sarah Palin get upset at the use of that word and suggest that it's an attack against her child who has Downs Syndrome, isn't she claiming that word back as a definition for people with special needs ? Should she then have the same objections to the use of the word stupid or idiot ? I guess that's what I don't get. Now, because it still offends a huge portion of our society, I don't currently use the word retarded as freely as I use the word idiot or stupid.
But, I think we need to figure out going forward , if the use of the word retard should be treated the same way as the use of the word idiot or stupid is widely used in our society. Otherwise , we are facing a hypocrisy issue either way. Because I honestly do not think of people with special needs when I hear the words retard, idiot or stupid. Where do we draw the line as a society on this issue ? Do we stop using all three words , or do we stop accusing those who use those words as attacking those with special needs ?
One last thing and I want to be clear on this. Although my diary is in response to Rahm Emanuels latest remarks about progressives , I am in no way defending his comments. I don't appreciate him talking about us like that and if we weren't so distracted by the fact that he called us f****** retards as opposed to calling us idiots , I would be writing a rebuttal against him. He is not in a position to criticize us. His centrist Clintonian (Bi-Partisan/60 Votes) advice to the President is more to blame for the mess our party is facing, than our insistence that President Obama and the Democratic controlled Congress pass competent progressive legislation is. So, he needs to look in the mirror and call himself names.
But I only get to post one diary and there's no doubt that another Kossack has already rebuked him on that front.