Cleaner Times WOW

[Crownroyal 14]

Anyone reading the Cleaner Times Mag read page 36 Giving Purpose?

There was a statement, Quote, "In Bakersfield, CA a trucker and a pressure washer distributor got together to help retarded citizens develope a sense of purpose in their daily lives."

Anyone see anything weird that was written in that statement?

I do, I could see maybe using a less offensive word or phrase to describe folks with mental handicaps.

It kind of strut a nerve and I had to post to see if anyone else thought is was disgraceful?

Anyway open for discussion..............

Dan

[PressurePros 249]

retarded: To be delayed or impeded....I think you are reading too much into it, Dan. Political correctness dictates that they should have opted for a more current phrase but the tone and intention of the article was positive. The whole PC thing cracks me up. This is not directed at you Dan, just a hijack of my own rant. Every day I hear people complain about PC. The same person that complains this article was written with no sensitivity will without hesitation call a black person that word they love so much. As for myself, I don't go around calling people this-and-that Americans. Either you are an American or you aren't. I could care less where your ancestors came from.

[John Doherty 126]

No I don't see a problem, and it certainly takes more to offend me. I can't express how fed up I am with all the PC crap!

Am I the only one who finds fault with a society that endorses describing things as other than what they are?

As each little bit of truth is chipped away things become unrecognizable. This is why people who are here illegaly are now only 'undocumented'.

Not meant as a knock on you Dan but the whole PC subject drives me crazy!

[Crownroyal 14]

I don’t usually start a thread like this but I thought I should cause it bothered me. I guess what I meant is later in the subject they refer to folks with these types of problems as mentally handicapped why couldn't they just carry this through out the article. (Or people with disabilities). I have a few close friends with handicaps (received by accidents and so forth) and when I hear people walk by and say he’s retarded Ya I have a little problem with it. I'm not saying the article wasn't positive, I (personal feelings) think it was a good article just the phrase should have been left out. Maybe because this personally affects me I see a problem. If its not your problem most people don’t care but I bet if you were "retarded" you wouldn't love it when I called you retarded. I reminds me of the news when a couple's son is diagnosed with a life ending situation and they say, " I can't believe this happened to me". It doesn’t bother you till it happens to you. I am a person that does think about others feelings -except when I'm selling and I do try to treat people, as I would like to be treated back. If I’m an AS#$OLE I wouldn't like to be called one and treated as one LOL there are better words maybe hard to deal with lol.

What I’m really trying to say is have a heart and remember you might be put in a bad situation that you didn’t plan.

Maybe

You

See

What

I’m

Saying

Now.

Ask your wife or husband if they should have used a different word?

I think the majority of people see the word as kind of an insult, not a description of who they are. Kind of like Chink, Cracker, N word and so forth. I’m not big on Pc but I think there are times you should and shouldn’t use words.

I know there is B.A.R.C but maybe its ok to call people retarded, now that I have written all this I guess I don’t care anymore. Retarded is fine to say to people, why bother with anything else.

[Chappy 138]

Why bother saying anything else? We have taken the meaning out of words in our PC society. There are many ways to be menntally handicapped. Retardation, schitzophrenia, manic/depressive, bi-polar. the word means what it means and why sugar coat it. If a retarded person understood the word, they wouldnt be any more insulted by being called mentally challenged or mentally handicapped?

[PressurePros 249]

Jon makes a point. God has a way of balancing things out. Way back when I was considering a career in the military and was stationed at LeJeune, NC I had chance to be visitng a hospital for the mentally disabled. I was thinking to myself, how could God be so cruel as to afflict these people this way then it hit me. These people are all smiling at me. I am the one that has the issues with their disability. So whom is offended by phrases like the above, Dan, you or the afflicted?

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

I can't express how fed up I am with all the PC crap!

I would agree that at times it can inhibit our ability to communicate effectively and make a clear point. That in itself is frustrating.

Beth

[John T 744]

They could have used a different word or phrase then what was used but its done. Sometimes with all the PC you just don't want to say anything because no matter what there will be someone pissed off at you for the way you said it.

It wasn't to many years ago when a guy like the Comedian George Carlin got locked up for doing his skit about the 7 words you are not allowed to say in public..today it metamorphosized into the phrase "Political Correctness". Yes I do believe we should be more sensative to others that are different then us but who says that we have to be politically corrected anyway.........

[James 625]

People in general unless they belong to the club( are dis-abled, handicapped ect. or have a child born with disablities " mental retardation") are ignorant to the life struggle's of that person and the family.

I have a daughter with severe handicap's. ( I won the 2004 PWNA Spot Light of the year Award which isn't recongnized on the web ?) for building a play ground named for my daughter that is called a "boundless playground "Maeve's Dreamland" A handicapped accessible playground that is the most popular play ground in the area.These playground's are designed for the handicapped. It took four years and 200 grand in donation's to build.

However ; The more intelligent the people we've delt with over the years . The more ignorant they become! More Like a part of societiy which wants these Handicapped people best kept aside.

As a parent of a mental retarded child I want harsh words not new words!!! This down play's our plight and getting services. Eat me!!

I did not read C T

[timbertramp 14]

I am going to put in my 2 cents in on this subject. I do not think this has anything to do with being politically correct. I think it has everything to do with being sensitive to the feelings of others not as NORMAL as you think you are. I have worked in adult workshops for the developmentally delayed and have been a special education teacher for the past 12 years. I can say without any regret that most of the people I have had the pleasure of working with in the above enviornments are more caring, honest and more fun to be around than most NORMAL people I have had to work with. It has nothing to do with being politically correct but being sensitive to another person's feelings and shortcomings. I guess as NORMAL people, we do not need to be aware of that. After all people with developmental delays do not have feelings, right!!!!!! Oh by the way Ken, did you visit with anyone in that hospital you visited or did you just go through and be a lookey loo at the AFFLICTED people. Just my 2 cents. If you don't like it you can kiss me where the sun does not shine. James you go man, you sound like a great parent. I just attended the graduation party of one of my students. He is downs and a wonderful person. Keep up the good work James. Kem

[StainlessDeal 16]

I think it is important to remember a couple of basic things about language: It is flexible and it is ever-changing.

It is the intent, literally the message being communicated, that is most important. Retarded is a quantitative word that is meant to describe either potential or achieved attainment as measured against others.

When refering to a person, it is a bit (clinical or impersonal), unless intended as an insult. Then it is just rude or ill-mannered, as is all insulting language: It is intended to be.

Most words and phrases that describe people as members of groups based on some characteristic go in and out of vogue as desriptive, to insult, to comical, and back. There is no particular rhyme or reason to these trends, except that it appears that whatever generation is currently in college generally seems to abhor the labels used by the generation before.

Here are two examples: I'm a "Lugen." Not a word that probably has any special meaning to many here, my father will beat the head in of anybody using that word to describe Lithuanians. Luckily, not a common occurance. (Even in Omaha, a city with a large Lithuanian population.) The word amuses me, because to most people, I'm just another white guy.

I have a buddy that is Italian. (Actually, I have many.) Some don't mind being called a wop. This started as an acronym (Albeit an unofficial one) for "With Out Papers" and probably wasn't ever meant respectfully, but not as an outright insult. Over the generations this one has gone back and forth.

The point of all this is that I have not intended to insult anybody with this post, but somebody might be offended by my use of two words that have been slurs at some ponts. There is nothing I can reasonably do about that other than be bewildered, and assure them that there was no intent to insult.

The rest is in their hands, but I would also like to point out that you have a right to be insulted. You then have the responsibility to get opn with your life. It is impossible to discuss uncomfortable subjects without descriptive language.

Sorry for the long ramble, but I love the language and like discussing it also.:) :cool:

[StainlessDeal 16]

He is downs and a wonderful person.

First off, let me say that you had not posted when I wrote my reply, it sounds a little harsh after yours.

Secondly, Thanks for doing what you do. I don't doubt a word you are saying about people's feelings.

Now I would like to ask what it means to say that, "He is downs." Is that a typo? Or is that the current form of, "He is afflicted with Trisomy 21?"

This is exactly what I was reaching for. People are different. People descibe. Vilifying the phrases and those that use them, doesn't change the affliction, or how people feel about it.

It does, however, make people wade through a figurative minefield whenever they are speaking to, or about these topics. This leads to avoidance of both the topic, and the afflicted.

I'm not excusing abusive, or ignorant speech. I just advocate people realizing that most labels are going to offend somebody, and giving too much power to words not intended as insults just puts another arrow in the quiver of those fools that enjoy insulting and denigrating their fellow humans.

[Crownroyal 14]

I hate to tell you Jon, most if not all handicapped people do understand the meaning of the word retarded but in our language at least for the most part of 30 years or more retarded was a word you heard in school, in the community, at bars, wherever to make fun of people and things of that nature, If we were sitting in class say 8th grade and people in that class called you retarded I think you would feel angered about being called a name that you perceived as negative. You wouldn’t say, “Look in the dictionary see I’m not retarded”.

And YES they said if they had to be catogorized they would like to hear something that isn’t associated with as many negative thoughts. The word retard has changed along with thousands of other words, in our dictionary.

Take a look in www.urbandictionary.com and look up retard.

An "unofficial" (not recognized by dictionaries) slang descriptor for a person/thing/action/object, etc., or a combination of, which is one or more of the following:

a waste of time, abandoned, abject, abominable, abortive, absurd, afraid, aimless, anxious, apprehenaive, arid, arrested, assailable, atomic, awful, baby, babyish, backward, bad, banal, barmy, barren, base, baseless, *******, beastly, beggarly, behind, beside the question, blah, bland, bogus, bomb, bootless, boyish, brainless, bromidic, bummer, caitiffcapricious, careless, catchpenny, characterless, cheap, checked, cheesy, childish, childlike, clichéd, cloying, coarse, colorless, common, commonplace, confusing, There are literally a thousand different uses for the slang version of "retarded" - (Quick note:) Usage-wise, it came before and set the precedence of the way we use "gay" in slang today - used correctly, they're practically interchangable.

"That test was really gay!"

"Oh yeah, our chemistry teacher is being retarded."

"Mary, stop being retarded! You're so gay, grow up!"

"I thought it was a simple babysitting job, but I was wrong. Besides all the other stuff, I had to clean up after the retard, which was pretty retarded. To top it off, he set the carpet on fire, which I had to put out with the flame-retardent extinguisher. And after all of that, the parents only paid me $15. Babysitting is gay."

To slow down or hinder development.

The embalming fluid retarded the decomposition of the corpse.

The act of getting wasted on drink or drugs ie. being in a retarded state.

man I drank so much last night I was retarded.

and

Lets get retarded.

an idiot, doesnt always mean mentally retarded.

*john drops some french fries*

john you retard!

a. Stupid

b. Messed up

c. Crazy, silly, goofy

a. That girl is retarded for stealing when she is rich as hell!

b. Damn boy, your website is looking retarded!

c. Man, it's boring in here. Let's get retarded!

David Beckham is a tard

David Beckham is retarded

LONDON: Superstar David Beckham, whose mental agility has been questioned before in the media, has said his six-year-old son's maths homework leaves him baffled.

The England captain and Real Madrid midfielder was forced to call on his wife Victoria, a former member of the Spice Girls pop group, to help their son Brooklyn with a school assignment because the footballer found the sums too difficult.

"Their homework is so hard these days," Beckham, 30, said in an interview with the Mail on Sunday.

"It's totally done differently to what I was teached when I was at school, and you know I was like 'Oh my God, I can't do this'."

Multi-millionaire Beckham, who has become regular tabloid fare because of his dress sense and hairstyles, said after failing in mathematics he offered to read a book with Brooklyn instead.

Retarded is a word, that was made to describe someone thought to be less of a person because of their disability in some area. Someone they thought couldn't think or feel.

There is no example that isn't offensive. There is no reason to ever use this word, and it is offensive to People who have any form of a disibility and would have 20 years ago been considered a retard.

Slow of mind, unintelligent, mentally distorted, confused, stupified, numb-in-the-head.

Ken my two family members and two close friends who are dealing with different forms of handicaps have said, “Yes I feel offended because the word doesn’t mean what it says in a dictionary.”(Chris , Ruth )

PC does make things sometimes a little harder to make a point clear.

I also have to add PC has nothing to do with this. This subject I started this thread about was calling someone a word that is associated with negativities not positives. I guess its knowing how to speak and how to choose words correctly. I’ve never had a problem with Pc unless I hear (retarded cases in the supreme court)

PC is a whole subject that is way over this, start that in another thread, because it will take this one into tangents.

You know in your heart what types of words can and will hurt others and if you are clue less on this one I hope it helps to shine a little light.

Kick as# James keep it up, You know how cruel people can be and how miss used the American language is, I do see your point though, But I hear words that a directed to be mean and rude more than polite and correct, considering there situation.

[R. Williamson 14]

James, I can relate. My daughter Faith has autism & epilepsy the are a lot a programs to help her. A year ago they lumped alot of different disorders in to one category called autism spectrum disorder and it became more difficult to get the services Faith needs, it's a constant fight with the school board and state to get the services Faith needs.

[Beth n Rod 1,279]

autism spectrum disorder

Yep...they have that here too. My son fits into the spectrum as well.

Beth

[PressurePros 249]

I guess as NORMAL people, we do not need to be aware of that. After all people with developmental delays do not have feelings, right!!!!!! Oh by the way Ken, did you visit with anyone in that hospital you visited or did you just go through and be a lookey loo at the AFFLICTED people. Just my 2 cents. If you don't like it you can kiss me where the sun does not shine. Kem

Kem, while you do not know me personally, does it seem reasonable that I would just take a day, decide to visit a hospital with the sole intention of personal amusement? C'mon man, you are too emotionally involved with the topic when your logic starts falling apart.

This is ALL about PC. Scott's post was right on target. Words are words. Certain terms and phrase come and go. To ostracize a person and get yourself all worked up because someone used a term that some may consider antiquated is, in my opinion, over the top. I worked in an office where a black guy would always correct anyone that refered to him as black. One day Mr Politically sensitive proceeds to pull the hotdog he was about to eat from its bun, calls a female secretary to get her attention and hangs it down in front iof himself with a big smile. Hypocrisy at its finest.

Sure anyone that works in the field, suffers from their own disability or has a close loved one that has a handicap (is that word even still ok?) is going to get all charged up..but why? Sometimes you have to read tone to determine meaning. The dictionary and the DSM IV define the term mentally retarded very specifically. Would it have been less offensive if they used 'mentally retarded citizens'. Intonation.. there is a huge difference between what was published and lets say 'A trucker and a PW distributor got together to help the retards in their neighborhood'

Political correctness is what can go where the sun don't shine. Anyone ever se PCU? Classic flick!

[timbertramp 14]

James thanks for the reply and nice words. Downs is not a typo; it is a word that is used to cover several types of syndromes associated with the Downs Syndrome disorder. I would just like to say that the term retarded has been changed by our society to express a negative non desirable state of being as expressed by Dan’s examples. One needs to keep in mind the majority of the developmentally delayed people cannot express themselves well enough to object to the term. As Ken stated, I guess we, (as in me and I) have the problem because society has made the term negative, not the people the term was describing. Yes, I am the one with the problem and yes I will be the advocate for not using the term.

Just a note: the disability of Autism is now the fastest growing disability in young children today. They do not know what causes it but they have lots of theories. None conclusive.

I would like to say sorry if I came across to strong in my first post. I guess I look at things different than some people. Kem

[timbertramp 14]

Ken, You are correct. I don't know you personally as you do not know me personally. You are also correct, I am emotionally involved with this. I have this problem of being emotionally involved with my job and I like it. It is very fullfilling and I love going to work. I am emotionally involved but I am also very objective. As I stated before in my first post, I sometimes have more problems with NORMAL people like your co-worker. Lets not compare apples, (NORMAL) who can advocate for themselves, with oranges, (disabled) who cannot. I guess we can agree to disagree. I am sorry if my words got you upset. After all they are just words, right? :)

[PressurePros 249]

I honestly wasn't offended in the least, Kem. I understand your passion. It's good. I was just defending my point because I felt you skewed the point I was trying to make. We don't neccessarily disagree, I just don't do PC.