I want to take back ‘Retard’. Because I want it to apply to things that are infuriatingly stupid, instead of it being used as a derogatory term towards special needs people.

  • wjrii@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Be careful. The word only took on its perjorative meaning because of the connection to various groups of special needs people. Before then, the noun form was pretty much nonexistent, and the adjective and verb forms were boring latinate terms meaning “slow(ed) down.”

    • karmiclychee @sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      Not enough people consider the origin of these words, trying to use them divorced from the thing that actually makes it a pejorative. Growing up, “gay” was another one people tried to use as an insult “non-homophobically”

      It’s poisonous for a reason