• SailorFuzz@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        why did we pick this word? Why is moron, imbecile, idiot, etc… all of those are perfectly a-okay as an insult and no one gets their panties in a bunch. Feels arbitrary.

        Feels more like a empty issue to take up arms for so that people can FEEL like they’re doing something, while doing next to nothing. It’s so easy to word police, it’s hard to read up on social causes and systems of oppression. So, instead you get armchair keyboard warriors going “you can’t say that!!!” and feel like they’re making a difference… it’s a lazy cause to pacify people, artificially inflated. On the same wavelength as latinx.

        • Mulligrubs@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          They also don’t like the word mongoloid, and prefer that you don’t say “suffers from …” and more.

          People humor them, because… you know

        • Isaac (ieh)@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          If words mean nothing, I suggest trying that theory out by going up to a person of colour and using a certain word to them. Or even call them “colored”, which used to be the preferred term.

          So if words mean something, perhaps it’s worth the time to consider their use carefully.

          • SailorFuzz@lemmy.world
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            15 hours ago

            yes those are exactly comparable. Definitely no difference in historical context at all… pat yourself on the back, you’re antibullying saviour!

            • Isaac (ieh)@lemmy.world
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              15 hours ago

              pat yourself on the back, you’re antibullying saviour!

              Do you pat yourself on the back for standing up against bigotry? I would think it’s the human thing to do.

              • SailorFuzz@lemmy.world
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                14 hours ago

                Yea, but you’re not actually doing anything effective.

                Are you helping real people, or just helping yourself? Because tone policing a word when it isn’t even being used as slur at a person, but doing it just because you want everyone to know how anti-bullying, anti-bigotry you are… sorry, that’s just self-congratulatory masturbation. And look, I get it, sometimes it feels good to wax poetic in public, I’m just saying, maybe be honest about why you’re doing it.

                • Isaac (ieh)@lemmy.world
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                  14 hours ago

                  You can project all you like. I don’t care. I do think standing up for bigotry is not a good look for you, but that’s your call to make.

                  But you will face consequences if you break the TOS.

                  • SailorFuzz@lemmy.world
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                    14 hours ago

                    My dude, you’re the one who gets off putting people down. Not projection. Observation. You’re not policing some arbitrary (and redundant) word because it might offend a specific person. You’re policing it because it gives you a reason to exercise power.

                    Especially when you treat every usage as equal without examining the context. If you cared about protecting mentally challenged people, you’d be offended when its targeted at them or when any word is used… but you don’t… you only care about one word, regardless of context… and it’s because when that word is used, it’s punishing time… and what a trip it feels to be “morally superior”, now you get to put someone down. You get to ride around on highhorse skeeting your platitudes all over.

        • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
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          15 hours ago

          FTA:

          "The R-Word Is a Form of Bullying

          Kantar reviewed nearly 50 million social posts in the U.S. over 2 years. Over two-thirds of posts about people with intellectual disabilities were negative and nearly 29 million contained slurs (i.e., using the word “retard(ed)” or other words combined with “-tard”).

          Spreading the R-word continues to hurt people with intellectual disabilities—and whether intended or not, is a form of bullying. Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against a minority group. Eliminating this word is a step toward respect for all."

          • SailorFuzz@lemmy.world
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            15 hours ago

            it’s a lazy virtue signal so that we eat our own. Likely propagated by right-wing groups who benefit the most from the infighting. It doesn’t solve a real issue and instead is just another purity test imposed to artificially create division.

            But go off, feel good about yourself, you’ve done it, you solved bullying!

        • chunkystyles@sopuli.xyz
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          15 hours ago

          Because that’s how language works. That word has been used to demean, mock, belittle, and cause real trauma to people. That’s why using it makes people feel bad, and as sentient, empathetic people, we choose not to use it.

          • SailorFuzz@lemmy.world
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            15 hours ago

            yea… but so have all those other words too.

            Somehow it was decided that one word would be the nono bad word… when literally all of them are used interchangably. But, you only get scolded if you say one of them. And policing its use does make any actual meaningful change. Like, if you wanted to insult a handicapped person, you can still do it using any of other words in the quiver.

      • Mulligrubs@lemmy.world
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        15 hours ago

        How long has the Special Olympics been in charge of what words are appropriate, anyway?

        Why humor them? Believe me, the word itself will outlive the Special Olympics.

        • Isaac (ieh)@lemmy.world
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          15 hours ago

          You think linking to one particular source that tries to explain the problem means they’re in charge?

          Well, I guess Lemmy bows to that organization considering it’s in the Lemmy TOS: https://legal.lemmy.world/tos/

          You don’t have to like the rules, but you certainly have to follow them.

        • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
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          15 hours ago

          FTA:

          "The R-Word Is a Form of Bullying

          Kantar reviewed nearly 50 million social posts in the U.S. over 2 years. Over two-thirds of posts about people with intellectual disabilities were negative and nearly 29 million contained slurs (i.e., using the word “retard(ed)” or other words combined with “-tard”).

          Spreading the R-word continues to hurt people with intellectual disabilities—and whether intended or not, is a form of bullying. Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against a minority group. Eliminating this word is a step toward respect for all. "

          • Exatron@lemmy.world
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            6 hours ago

            You realize that undermines your reasoning, right? We should be bullying Kash Patel at every opportunity.

            • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
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              4 hours ago

              Patel is worthy of bullying, but not in a way that causes collateral damage. Same as if people were using racial slurs. Those would get removed too.