[Vision2020] Donovan Arnold - Man of Action? Re: Wilson's Religious Empire

[Chasuk]

On Jan 18, 2008 12:32 PM, Popeye Landscape <dctrofdamind at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am not one of those PC liberals who takes *retard* to mean anything more
> than an emotionally laden reference to being "very stupid". If you are dumb
> enough to take that as an insult to the handicap then so be it.  I find it
> *disgusting* that you would would limit my *practical* freedom of speech
> using the term *retard*. Donovan was being an idiot and that is all I was
> remarking on.

Interesting tidbit from Wikipedia:

Connotations easily change over time. "Idiot," "imbecile," and "moron"
were once neutral terms for a person of toddler, preschool, and
primary school mental ages.[2] As with Gresham's law, negative
connotations tend to crowd out neutral ones, so the phrase mentally
retarded was pressed into service to replace them.[3] Now that too is
considered rude, used commonly as an insult of a person, thing, or
idea. As a result, new terms like "developmentally disabled",
"mentally challenged," "with an intellectual disability" and "special
needs" have replaced "retarded."

I don't find the word "retard" offensive, but then I don't find the
word "queer" offensive, either.  However, I don't find  a person dumb
for finding them so, but I do find your rudeness reaction to Keely's
polite objection quite puzzling.

Why the hostility?

Chas