How do you feel about the word ret*d?

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Let's make it simple, no bans just for the word, but moderator consideration for the context - "Freedom of speech is a principal pillar of a free government; when this support is taken away, the constitution of a free society is dissolved, and tyranny is erected on its ruins." - Ben Franklin

Why does it matter of people are offended?

I really don't like when people use it. That and people still using the word "gay" as an insult, I just don't get.

Even though I am neither, I find it offensive and I'd never use them myself. Although, I've also heard people use "autistic" as an insult directed towards people who are clearly neurotypical and that upsets me just as much.

Yes this type of discussion has some overlap with debates a few years ago about Aspies feeling insecure about being called "autistic" (coinciding with changes in DSMV)

When you cut to the core issue it was stigma surrounding the word "autism" being (coincidentally) associated with low function and retardation by the nuerotypical community. Similarly the connection between "disabled" and "autism" whereby many Aspies have (correctly) pointed out that Asergers doesn't necessarily make them feel disabled. No problems for me.

Fast forward to 2017 and most Aspies have (at least online) embraced autism but in order to delineate themselves from the so called lower functioning autistic people they use the term high functioning. Again no problem for me.

However in order to ingratiate themselves into nuerotypical society I feel much of the anti-disabled language thrown around by ignorant NTs is also enthusiastically used by those on the spectrum. I will admit that much of this use is not intentionally mean't to hurt people's feeling but (unfortunately) is clearly mirroring the ignorance of the wider community where people with clear intellectual disabilities are indeed offended.

Given most Aspies experience bullying then they should really not "ape" the ignorance of the bully culture which uses the r-word. I've attached the following article to demonstrate that for a disabled person who has been a victim of bullying - just hearing the r-word may be enough to trigger PTSD from years of bullying
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tim-shriv ... 30110.html

Please be more considerate (especially online) and desist from using this word

I agree with the idea it is all about context. There is nothing offensive about saying for example "flame retardant" or "mental retardation was the old diagnosis for intellectual disability" . This story is front page news in New York because it is a horriffic use of the word. I am glad the New York Daily News used "ret*d" rather then "the r-word". As an Aspie I tend not to want euphemisms. Banning the use of words because bullies use them is a victory for the bullies who use those words. Should we ban "autism" or call it "the A-Word" because "autism" is a popular insult? Should we ban "aspie" because some people use it to disassociate themselves from other autistics? When does this stop, when do we stop running away?

I don't think this is what people are concerned with when it (the r word) is used as a noun.

I doubt you would openly use the n-word or the f-word because people who are black or gay would be offended. But I could come up with a lame excuse that there is a country in Africa called Niger or that a Spanish person uses "negro" to talk about something black or that a pile of wood lit on fire is called a fa***t...we know that's not what offends

Any use of these words offends a few people who are loud about it these days. Should we ban all use of these words because it is going to offend a few people? Should we only ban those words when it is used as a verb?

To me the WP rules against personal attacks should take care of offensive use of those words in most of the situations where those words are used as a verb. Anything else can slip into language policing/censorship

This. I don't care about "offensive" in the social justice sense but I do care about being a decent human being. It comes across as juvenile and unnecessary. If you disagree with something there are better ways to react than to throw slurs.

I accept realistically it's taken on context and it's up to the discretion of the moderator. Common decency should prevail (in theory) but I guess that's up to the individual to decide what words they choose to throw around.

F word, C word, S word and P word, what a load of differently abled C word from the viewpoint of a WCP of I.

Yes I notice when you enter certain words in WP they are "asterisked out" on the post
I would like to see the r word included in that list...Alex?

I have been called "socially ret*d" and though the person who said it had no idea I was autistic, it's absolutely true.

So, in terms of the literal meaning of the word, there's no reason to be offended by it, if it's accurate.

In terms of the word being used as a slang insult, it's pretty much meaningless to me. I get that it's just another way of calling someone stupid, but it's such a childish slur, I can't really take it seriously. It's the sort of thing you expect to hear from 8 year olds. Doesn't bother me, it just sounds silly.

I do not use. I heard it too much when I was in the school.
"You are not normal." You are stupid." < I hate to hear these.

It's a slur, same kind as the n word and should be seen as as bad as the n word.

People shouldn't use groups of people as an insult at all. When someone does it is a duel insult, also saying that the group is at least as bad as the recipient.

For an example, "Neo-Nazis are such (R-words)"
Now, anyone who could of been encompassed into it at one point are being used to insult Neo-Nazis, meaning the person who did it is making them at least as bad.

A lot of people were giving this as a diagnoses, it used to just be a go to for a lot of things, you didn't even have to have a ID.

I agree that the r-word is a slur.

When I'm at school, I see the word autistic being used as if it were synonymous with r****d. People in my grade and my classes act like the two words are the same, and I like to say that at my school, autism is the new r-word. I also once heard some girl at my school say something like, "Down syndrome deluxe," when I was in my history teacher's classroom for lunch last year. Apparently, gay is the new r-word as well.

I've been on the receiving end of that word for many years and definitely believe its a slur