On political correctness
A local high school was recently in the news for having all the copies of their yearbook snatched back up due to a section in which, as far as I can gather, used the descriptor "mentally retarded" on a dedication page to students with "special needs".
So, apparently, "retarded" isn't an appropriate word to use? I've suspected this since I started judo 16 years ago and it was my coach's favorite word to call his students (much to my mother's horror--asking her what "retard" meant was a fun conversation). I myself have been told off for using it in an admittedly lazy fashion to describe something I thought was stupid. I was a bit affronted by the self-righteousness of the person who got on to me for it, but I agree it was in bad taste and, as I mentioned, not a very clever use of words (a standard I try to live up to every time I open my mouth). So, I can understand the word "retarded" being offensive when used as slang for something stupid.
However, I honestly thought (and still do) that the word "retarded" is appropriate when used literally. I have a relative who has Autism and is mentally retarded. The nicest man I have ever met, an anatomy professor this past year, was talking to our tank once and the topic of his son came up, who he described was "retarded". He used that precise word without even the word "mentally" preceding it. I admit that this word has been misused so often that I didn't understand what he meant at first. But he used it correctly and in its intended context.
The fact that it took me a minute to understand his meaning due to the fact that "retard" has been so frequently abused as a word perhaps provides clues as to why so many people find it offensive even when used correctly. However, it's also evidence to just how inflexible, ignorant, and lazy people are when it comes to language and interpretation.
For the sake of argument, let's assume that "retard" is in no way ever acceptable to ever use again (because if we can't use it in its intended context, and it's already been established that it's in bad taste to use it informally, and, dammit, I hate it when a word completely dies like this), what's the alternative? "Special needs" is the politically correct term, but, holy GOD, is that not degrading, or what? It's patronizing to the extreme and it's thrown all subtlety of "we need to be careful with other people's feelings and treat everyone equally, especially when they're different" out the window. And, worse, I think it almost takes advantage of those who are mentally deficient and unable to perhaps interpret patronization because what other group of people can this be done with? "Gay" is a word that's been almost as abused as "retarded" in its common use as a synonym for "stupid" but its use isn't nearly found as offensive. And imagine the uproar if there was a movement to replace "gay" with "sexually abnormal".
And the very immature part of me is willing to concede to the offensive, patronizing, and, quite honestly, inadequate-as-a-descriptor (I'm gonna be a doctor, and I appreciate clear, precise, and accurate language; "special needs" can define almost anyone on any sort of medication) politically correct language as long as they let me use the word "retarded" loosely in everyday parlance. It's not fair for them to keep both.
Okay. Wow. For a topic that I really don't care about, I certainly had a lot to say about it. I wonder, one day, if anything I write here will ever come back to bite me in the ass.
I went to Half-Price yesterday and picked up a novel titled The Strange Affair of the Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder. I'm about 30 pages in and I'm not impressed. The premise is interesting and the characters are almost interesting, but the writing is heavy-handed and way more "tell" than "show". God, what I wouldn't do for subtlety.
I've had this idea for a story kicking around my head recently. It'll probably never see the light of day, but...I'm wondering if I can do a better job at writing than most of the stuff that passes through a publishing facility.
Also, I stopped by the DVD section and THEY HAD LIFE ON MARS! BOTH SEASONS! It was 40 bucks, but, dammit, you can't pass that off. And I had just gotten my brother to download both seasons for me. Poor guy.
While in line there, a group of three people cut in front of me. It was probably accident because I don't think they knew which was the line was supposed to curve, and they got on the wrong side of me, so by the time several people lined up properly, they were in front of me. The proper thing would have been to go to the back, but nope. They stayed right where they were. Then, today as I was driving back to my apartment, I stopped at a rest station and a woman blatantly and without any explanation (or visible urgency) sauntered in front of me and the person in front of me.
Oh, people.
EDIT: For record's sake, I forgot to mention that I saw Dark Shadows yesterday with a friend. I was very, very disappointed. It was a Johnny Depp movie, for chrissakes! How could it have been ruined? Other than by boring, uninspired dialogue, complete absence of character development, and a plot as predictable as anything ABC writes.
So, apparently, "retarded" isn't an appropriate word to use? I've suspected this since I started judo 16 years ago and it was my coach's favorite word to call his students (much to my mother's horror--asking her what "retard" meant was a fun conversation). I myself have been told off for using it in an admittedly lazy fashion to describe something I thought was stupid. I was a bit affronted by the self-righteousness of the person who got on to me for it, but I agree it was in bad taste and, as I mentioned, not a very clever use of words (a standard I try to live up to every time I open my mouth). So, I can understand the word "retarded" being offensive when used as slang for something stupid.
However, I honestly thought (and still do) that the word "retarded" is appropriate when used literally. I have a relative who has Autism and is mentally retarded. The nicest man I have ever met, an anatomy professor this past year, was talking to our tank once and the topic of his son came up, who he described was "retarded". He used that precise word without even the word "mentally" preceding it. I admit that this word has been misused so often that I didn't understand what he meant at first. But he used it correctly and in its intended context.
The fact that it took me a minute to understand his meaning due to the fact that "retard" has been so frequently abused as a word perhaps provides clues as to why so many people find it offensive even when used correctly. However, it's also evidence to just how inflexible, ignorant, and lazy people are when it comes to language and interpretation.
For the sake of argument, let's assume that "retard" is in no way ever acceptable to ever use again (because if we can't use it in its intended context, and it's already been established that it's in bad taste to use it informally, and, dammit, I hate it when a word completely dies like this), what's the alternative? "Special needs" is the politically correct term, but, holy GOD, is that not degrading, or what? It's patronizing to the extreme and it's thrown all subtlety of "we need to be careful with other people's feelings and treat everyone equally, especially when they're different" out the window. And, worse, I think it almost takes advantage of those who are mentally deficient and unable to perhaps interpret patronization because what other group of people can this be done with? "Gay" is a word that's been almost as abused as "retarded" in its common use as a synonym for "stupid" but its use isn't nearly found as offensive. And imagine the uproar if there was a movement to replace "gay" with "sexually abnormal".
And the very immature part of me is willing to concede to the offensive, patronizing, and, quite honestly, inadequate-as-a-descriptor (I'm gonna be a doctor, and I appreciate clear, precise, and accurate language; "special needs" can define almost anyone on any sort of medication) politically correct language as long as they let me use the word "retarded" loosely in everyday parlance. It's not fair for them to keep both.
Okay. Wow. For a topic that I really don't care about, I certainly had a lot to say about it. I wonder, one day, if anything I write here will ever come back to bite me in the ass.
I went to Half-Price yesterday and picked up a novel titled The Strange Affair of the Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder. I'm about 30 pages in and I'm not impressed. The premise is interesting and the characters are almost interesting, but the writing is heavy-handed and way more "tell" than "show". God, what I wouldn't do for subtlety.
I've had this idea for a story kicking around my head recently. It'll probably never see the light of day, but...I'm wondering if I can do a better job at writing than most of the stuff that passes through a publishing facility.
Also, I stopped by the DVD section and THEY HAD LIFE ON MARS! BOTH SEASONS! It was 40 bucks, but, dammit, you can't pass that off. And I had just gotten my brother to download both seasons for me. Poor guy.
While in line there, a group of three people cut in front of me. It was probably accident because I don't think they knew which was the line was supposed to curve, and they got on the wrong side of me, so by the time several people lined up properly, they were in front of me. The proper thing would have been to go to the back, but nope. They stayed right where they were. Then, today as I was driving back to my apartment, I stopped at a rest station and a woman blatantly and without any explanation (or visible urgency) sauntered in front of me and the person in front of me.
Oh, people.
EDIT: For record's sake, I forgot to mention that I saw Dark Shadows yesterday with a friend. I was very, very disappointed. It was a Johnny Depp movie, for chrissakes! How could it have been ruined? Other than by boring, uninspired dialogue, complete absence of character development, and a plot as predictable as anything ABC writes.