The R word very unPC

[Strong Eagle]

What 'R' word? REPUBLICAN??? OK, I can agree... very bad to call anybody a Republican... even worse if they are self identified.

[Wind In My Hair]

What 'R' word? REPUBLICAN??? OK, I can agree... very bad to call anybody a Republican... even worse if they are self identified.

ukdesigner,

I love the W-word and wish I could use it here. People either don't understand what it means, or give horrified looks. I agree it has a lovely sound.

[EADG]

So what are us whiteys? I think being PC has gone so far now that we are screwed beyond belief. Why can't we just be people.

true

well, in the States nowadays, if you're a white, single male you'd be just about the lowest on the totem pole of rights, anyone else has stronger pull when it comes to who might get fired at work or a lawsuit

but reverse racism is nothing new anymore, it's kinda become passé, I think we'll see better things now with Obama

There was a film I seem to remember where some women was trying tocome up with strange variants on ethnicity. I remember now, it was in the film Domino. Worth a look as it's hilarious.

ha, yeah, that would be this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCXdc22t_C8

and you're right, it's pretty wacky!

from the "28-year-old grandmother", leave it to Jerry to show America's better side, even if it is a joke....

[ksl]

What 'R' word? REPUBLICAN??? OK, I can agree... very bad to call anybody a Republican... even worse if they are self identified.

ukdesigner,

I love the W-word and wish I could use it here. People either don't understand what it means, or give horrified looks. I agree it has a lovely sound.

Enlighten me, I'm out of touch on this one, you mean willie warmer, or you mean wanker, I mean if it's the last one, I have to agree, I am one ....just imagine if we do it all at once, we could break the richter scale! But I guess you mean the slang word and not the vulgar definition.

[julinico]

Haha.
I only use the word retard on my friends. And one of them is in a wheelchair. He's cool and we both really think people are taking this PCness too seriously. I hit him on the head when I think he just made an intellectually challenged comment and he pinches me right back on my arm trying to disable me. Imagine being seen in the streets here scuffling the way we do.

[julinico]

So what are us whiteys? I think being PC has gone so far now that we are screwed beyond belief. Why can't we just be people.

true

well, in the States nowadays, if you're a white, single male you'd be just about the lowest on the totem pole of rights, anyone else has stronger pull when it comes to who might get fired at work or a lawsuit

but reverse racism is nothing new anymore, it's kinda become passé, I think we'll see better things now with Obama

Hey all, I feel like singing the Avenue Q musical song now... sing with me!

Everyone's a little a racist, It's alright...
WIMH: Alright!
ksl: Alright!
sundaymorningstaple: Alright!

Bigotry has never been exclusively white...
(altogether now!)
If we all could just admit
That we're all racist just a little bit
Even though that we all know it's wrong...
Maybe it would help us (bob heads left & right)
Get along...

[julinico]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbwNSNLP ... re=related

[ableape]

Words age out just like anything else in the human experience. We used to call each other retards when I was growing up as a slam against someone. Now, my wife volunteers to help mothers who have developmentally challenged kids and my best friend from high school's son has autism. One thing to notice is that we are now much more aware of the kinds of problems. A child who has Downs syndrome, vs. a child who has Spina bifida vs. a child who has autism, etc.

So, I wouldn't use the word retard. As a father I have considerations and empathy for other parents that are part of my social group. Its got nothing to do with being PC, its just compassion and common sense. Having a child who is not able to learn or communicate is a tough row to hoe, and I don't want to add to the burden by making them feel ostracized.

I was reading the paper we cannot mention and there was a article about a family and the word "Retard" was mentioned.

I have to admit I would use the same word without worrying about it, but recently I was on a US forum and used it and I got a real flaming from a load of folks saying that it is such a bad word bit like the N-word or F-word, and very un pc to use it. The correct term apparently is "Intellectually challenged".

A wheel chair user used to be called a cripple, then handicap, now disabled, all of which are deemed to have negative connotations, and now I have seen disabled folks being called People requiring technical care.

Soon baldies are going to be referred to folliclely challenged. Is it all getting a bit out of hand?

[QRM]

Words age out just like anything else in the human experience. We used to call each other retards when I was growing up as a slam against someone. Now, my wife volunteers to help mothers who have developmentally challenged kids and my best friend from high school's son has autism. One thing to notice is that we are now much more aware of the kinds of problems. A child who has Downs syndrome, vs. a child who has Spina bifida vs. a child who has autism, etc.

So, I wouldn't use the word retard. As a father I have considerations and empathy for other parents that are part of my social group. Its got nothing to do with being PC, its just compassion and common sense. Having a child who is not able to learn or communicate is a tough row to hoe, and I don't want to add to the burden by making them feel ostracized.

I was reading the paper we cannot mention and there was a article about a family and the word "Retard" was mentioned.

I have to admit I would use the same word without worrying about it, but recently I was on a US forum and used it and I got a real flaming from a load of folks saying that it is such a bad word bit like the N-word or F-word, and very un pc to use it. The correct term apparently is "Intellectually challenged".

A wheel chair user used to be called a cripple, then handicap, now disabled, all of which are deemed to have negative connotations, and now I have seen disabled folks being called People requiring technical care.

Soon baldies are going to be referred to folliclely challenged. Is it all getting a bit out of hand?

I am not saying we have no compassion, but all we are doing is just changing the names, in a few years your term "developmentally challenged" may well be used as slang, at school will they be saying hes a real DC, like in our days you used to call kids with bad teeth and thick glasses a Spaz or a Flid, I cant beleive all the kids are going around saying nothing but nice things about fellow students. What word do they use these days to describe the kid they just buried up to his neck in the sand pit?

[sundaymorningstaple]

QRM you are so spot on with this one! PC to me stands for PoppyCock!

[Wind In My Hair]

Enlighten me, I'm out of touch on this one, you mean willie warmer, or you mean wanker, I mean if it's the last one, I have to agree, I am one ....just imagine if we do it all at once, we could break the richter scale!

Er, count me out of this earth-shattering "we". Don't want to, and can't!

I am not saying we have no compassion, but all we are doing is just changing the names, in a few years your term "developmentally challenged" may well be used as slang, at school will they be saying hes a real DC, like in our days you used to call kids with bad teeth and thick glasses a Spaz or a Flid, I cant beleive all the kids are going around saying nothing but nice things about fellow students. What word do they use these days to describe the kid they just buried up to his neck in the sand pit?

Well said, QRM. The PC folks are playing with semantics.

[sierra2469alpha]

[quote="QRM... I cant beleive all the kids are going around saying nothing but nice things about fellow students. What word do they use these days to describe the kid they just buried up to his neck in the sand pit?[/quote]

Some options:
1. Scared?
2. A bountiful target of opportunity?
3. Smart. Having a free all over sand "boday" scrub rather than paying $150 for it?

Mr. P (Ms. C denies all knowledge of this posting)

[EADG]

crap, just realized I never addressed the point of the thread

In my barely useful and worthless opinion, the R word as used in common conversation when not used in its full for to describe a person of unfortunate circumstances of birth, just sounds wrong.

The first thing I always wonder if someone who has such a person in their family is within earshot of someone (not me, because I don't like that word) saying it, of how that would make their difficulty just a little more difficult.

Hey all, I feel like singing the Avenue Q musical song now... sing with me!

Bigotry has never been exclusively white...