"Mental Retardation"

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Monday, September 9. 2019

Everybody knows we do not use that term anymore in public. It's been a kerfuffle this past week.

Interestingly, "Mental Retardation" was introduced as a euphemism for uglier terms, as it seemed to imply slower, but not unable. The currect correct term is "intellectual disability".

However, in casual conversation, people still say "I'm retarded" after foolish actions.

Posted by Dr. Joy Bliss in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 15:48 | Comments (21) | Trackbacks (0)

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Lots of things keep getting new names, once the current name becomes clearly understood. "Reform School" doesn't actually sound so bad, when you take the words apart, b ut once people know that it's "mostly just kid's jail, plus people with really awful parents" then it acquires a bad taste.

Retardation isn't a bad word, taken literally, nor are Developmentally Delayed, nor Developmentally Disabled, nor Special Education Students. Whatever they come up with next will be nicer-sounding as well. At first.

#1 Assistant Village Idiot on 2019-09-09 16:16 (Reply)

"At first" is right. The problem isn't with the terms, it's with the widespread discomfort with the condition. Whatever name is attached to the condition eventually will acquire unpleasant associations. "Retarded" seemed antiseptic at first. "Disability" will be OK for a while, until everyone figures out that the "dis" part implies contempt. We flirted with "differently abled." Soon "different" will be ruled out of bounds. There are already plenty of people allergic to the whole idea of "ability."

#1.1 Texan99 on 2019-09-10 08:56 (Reply)

Well, in public education they call them Special (or did?), and they have Special Education programs and such. Why not expand it to everybody and call them (us?) Special People?

#1.1.1 William E. Harris on 2019-09-10 10:42 (Reply)

"Special" is another good example of a word that sounded good at first. Now it's assumed to be an insult. It reminds me of when William Safire wrote a column about an economic advisor who threatened to start calling recessions a "banana," so everyone would stop freaking out.

#1.1.1.1 Texan99 on 2019-09-10 13:08 (Reply)

Correct. The mentally retarded used to be call imbeciles.People are afraid of calling a spade a spade....at least in public. The progressives have equated labelling something or someone as different as necessarily implying that he/she/it is inferior in terms of worth. These are the same people who insist we incorporate their approved labels for a multitude of genders that do not exist.

#1.1.2 mike m on 2019-09-10 23:58 (Reply)

Back in the '50s some airplane I flew, maybe the Super Connie, had an Advance and Retard toggle switch for the magnetos, retard for high power and advance for leaned out cruise. I wonder how it's labeled today (if any are still flying).

#1.2 BillH on 2019-09-10 10:50 (Reply)

I know this one isn't PC either, but sure gets the point across - retard strength

#2 Cranky Guy on 2019-09-09 17:34 (Reply)

A career in human services requires changes in terminology when leadership is not bright enough to achieve genuine improvements.

#3 Cogito ergo zoom on 2019-09-09 19:32 (Reply)

Relabeling has been going on for decades. During my student days, I worked at an institution for the mentally retarded. When I first went to work there, the powers-that-be informed me that while the mentally retarded living at the institution used to be called "patients," that term was no longer acceptable. They were to be called "residents." The institution was their home- where they resided. That made sense to me.

I later resigned when I changed my part-time student status to full-time. Several years later, I once again became an employee at the institution for the mentally retarded. This time, I was informed, "resident" was no longer an acceptable term. We were to refer to those living at the institution as "clients." That was for me a step too far. If you are a client, you can advocate for yourself. The mentally retarded are unable to advocate for themselves, for the most part.

Calling the mentally retarded "clients," assuming that they can advocate for themselves, reminds me of the sham of assisted speech.

What the proper term is these days, I have no idea.

#4 Gringo on 2019-09-09 19:36 (Reply)

Funny story: I’m walking my two dogs, using those ten foot retractable leashes; dogs are Maltese brothers, these two are hyper and generally bark at everything and everyone. Not dangerous, just excited. Well we came upon a man and his wife walking with their young son, coming from the opposite direction. Dogs start in with their usual noise, making a bee line for the young boy. I hollered out, don’t worry they’re just retarded. The boy busted out laughing and the parents had a bewildered look on their faces. It was then that I realized that the son was developmentally disabled. I guess my face turning three shades of red told them of my embarrassment, but nothing but polite how are you was exchanged, while the son got licked and the doggies got their pets. There still are people with a sense of humor.

#5 B. Hammer on 2019-09-09 19:40 (Reply)

Sadly the term has taken on a new meaning to slur anyone someone with no real argument disagrees with, especially if the person being disagreed with is a leftist.

#6 JTW on 2019-09-09 22:18 (Reply)

It seems a common occurrence in American idiom, and I always assume it's the same in other languages/idioms too. A word loses its meaning over time, until its literal meaning is replaced by its culturally-derived modern contextual one. The process is complete when you get hit with the irony of substituting the former literal meaning in its now-obsolete role. It's highly ironic to hear politicians calling each other retarded, when in so many ways, socially, they really are.

#7 Aggie on 2019-09-09 23:50 (Reply)

Intellectually differently abled.

#8 rhhardin on 2019-09-10 07:27 (Reply)

Around here we just say "He (or she) ain't right".

#9 snopercod on 2019-09-10 07:48 (Reply)

There's a lot of folks who just ain't right inside the Beltway and Academia...

#9.1 JLawson on 2019-09-10 09:00 (Reply)

If X is the term for a human with diminished mental faculties, then X will be the term for a human with normal or above average mental faculties who never-the-less behaved in a way that made it seem they lost those faculties temporarily. And no amount of nice talk is going to change the fact that someone with diminished abilities will generally behave in inept and inane ways that seem odd, stupid, and/or funny to the average human. But this is the 21st century; the age when truth has died.

#10 Ken in NH on 2019-09-10 09:56 (Reply)

""intellectual disability". "

Oh puhlease. That is REALLY retarded.

I'd say we need to call a spade a spade.

#11 Gerard vanderleun (Link) on 2019-09-10 15:37 (Reply)

There's a more serious side to this issue. Right now, a lot of retarded kids live in group homes which are tax-funded. In addition, there are millions of foster children who live with people who are paid to take care of them. And the Nursing Homes are full of people who are wards of the State.

What will happen if there is a financial collapse, and these institutions no longer get paid? Who will take care of all these people? I suppose that some of the foster parents will continue to care for the children, but I'm betting that most will not.

The retarded people and elderly will have to be euthanized, because there will be no one to take care of them. I suppose the foster children will be placed in orphanages. Yes, I know.
People will complain; but none of those people will volunteer to take the invalids into their own home, at their own expense. People love to moralize, as long as it doesn't cost them anything.

#12 Ron B Liebermann on 2019-09-10 18:52 (Reply)

Ron, you're slow (that's Sothern for retarded).

Who do you think took care of these folks BEFORE the progressives decided that the government should (a) pay the piper, and (b) call the tune? It was private charities (largely religious organizations)...and they did a much job than the government.

BONUS: What do you think will happen IF the government takes over health care and we experience a financial downturn?

#12.1 mike m on 2019-09-11 00:05 (Reply)

I know! I know! We'll have removed the price signals and the profit motive, so supply will be infinite and it won't cost anything. It will be paradise.

#12.1.1 Texan99 on 2019-09-11 13:19 (Reply)

I have a cousin that has down's. I've never seen her do anything stupid. She might not be book smart but she can apply wisdom better than most adults plus she is very sweet and loving. She's not retarded, she has down's.

I reserve the retarded label for adults who don't use their brain. I don't really hang out with the PC police so it works for me.

#13 joe o on 2019-09-11 15:05 (Reply)

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Monday, September 9. 2019

"Mental Retardation"