Is the word "retard" actually rude or was it just made that way, due to political correctness?

[dudeinohio]

Is it politically correct to not use it or is it actually rude. This is kinda touchy subject matter and i apologize in advance. I think it's always been just plain rude.

It's not politically correct.

It is actually and has been just plain rude.

I don't see anything wrong with it

[Chazmatazz269]

The perception of the term “retard” changed with the rise of political correctness. It’s actually a perfectly accurate description of a person’s reduced or slowed learning abilities. We might be able to trace the participation awards back to that. Parents who didn’t want to admit that their kids needed extra investment to be “average” got offended by the truth and went on to challenge the verbiage.


The argument that actually makes sense is that “retarded” is too broad a term and just chucking dummies into “special education” classes doesn’t solve the problem. Same era. It’s better to diagnose the various causes of learning disabilities and change teaching techniques to those students. Similarly, the solution is definitely NOT to tell kids with learning disabilities that they are perfectly normal and force skools to leave them in classrooms where traditional education techniques are perfectly productive for the vast majority of students. This lowers the value of the education for the many in order to preserve the feelings of the few, and mostly parents. It literally increases the number of dummies that our education system pumps out into the real world.
Just look at the current state of our education system. That’s mostly a direct result of liberal parenting and education policies. 👎👎

[molonski2]

Extremely rude and completely unacceptable use of the language , inappropriate always.

[jamesgoldman]

What about in French, there it just means late

[molonski2]

We are talking English , extremely rude and not a word to use ever.

[jamesgoldman]

Fair enough, now I'm wondering if both uses of the word are from the same genesis
Late given to slow, which is conventional in more polite society as a point to a impediment

[molonski2]

Probably are..
But James , in a highly politically correct environment in the West USA / Australia 🦘 / Most of Europe
No way I'm rocking up to someone in a bar and saying " Buy me a drink Retard "
After I recovered from being punched to the floor hahaha 🤣

However , it may make you happy but in the 70s this term was common , and we would use it with people who were retarded..
Seriously, I'm glad things have changed.

[jamesgoldman]

Yeah it used to be a common term... only still applicable for slowing in aviation, I got into a googling rabbit hole

[molonski2]

All the best James 🙂 😂 you understand.

[sage2021]

Using the word retard or calling someone a retard, I find very offensive and hope people can find another word to replace it with.

Mental retardation is, or was, a medical diagnosis, especially for people who have Down Syndrome, and learning disabilities.

Unfortunately, my son has learning disabilities and if I ever hear someone calling him a retard they are going to have to deal with a mad mama bear and they won't be happy when I'm finished with them!!

There's always going to be bullies. But I believe that it's not the victim who needs to see a therapist to learn how to deal with them, but rather the bully needs to get therapy to find out why they bully people.

[sage2021]

Thank you for the MHO 🙂🧡

[Nikki1989]

Apparently it is on here; I learned my lesson the hard way on that but then again I was also reported for the word 'idiot'.

[strateguy632]

yes it is rude. ever since it was said about healthy people it has been an insult. 'flame retardant' was a real word. but it was used as an insult for a century. also in general i would rather be correct than political correct. it just is not correct.

[DryGermanGuy]

It was a medical term from ~100 years ago. Times and language have changed.

[exitseven]

Many people were driving past Minnesota Governor Tim (Tampon Tim) Walz's house shouting "retard". It was not a very nice thig to say. Retards got offended.

[canamlusciouslad73]

Retards are far more intelligent than you, exitseven.(And why is Minnesota Gov. Walz called "Tampon Tim and Trump not dubbed "Diaper Donnie?")

[exitseven]

@canamlusciouslad73 Tim Walz made public schools put tampon dispensers in the boy's bathroom. And it was Joe Biden that wore a diaper.

[canamlusciouslad73]

Trump's worn a diaper for years, and the lads' room at one of our swimming sites here in Windsor has a feminine products dispenser, about which I've yet to hear a complaint. Of course, Canada is in the 21st century re. issues of gender unlike America, which wants to retreat to the early 20th century in these matters.

[exitseven]

@canamlusciouslad73 Canada has definitely gone off the deep end.

[canamlusciouslad73]

Really? Our Prime Minister isn't an octagenarian man-baby grifter, r,*pist,34-time convict and swindler.

[canamlusciouslad73]

Being a pejorative to describe low-intelligence people, it's VERY rude.