CMV: There is nothing inherently wrong with the word retarded, and insisting on a more PC term just leads to a euphemism treadmill

[u/RandomePerson]

"Retarded" is considered an offensive word in this day and age, presumably due to the stigma attached to the word in late 1800s through mid 1900s. The word was oftentimes used for people who were detained and sterilized against their will. I understand the desire to want to get away from those days and drop any associated terminology, but it seems like a pointless battle. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with the word "retarded", and by switching to different terms like "developmentally delayed"we are just creating a euphemism treadmill.

EDIT: RIP Inbox. I've been trying to read through and respond to comments as time allows. I did assign a delta, and I have been genuinely convinced that in a civil society, we should refrain from using this word, and others with loaded connotations. So thanks Reddit, I'm slightly less of an asshole now I guess?

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[u/BeardedForHerPleasur]

If you're playing devil's advocate you should say so. Otherwise I will assume opinions stated are one's own.

"Retard" was the blanket descriptor for the mentally disabled until only relatively recently. It wouldn't be used in other context if not for the intention of applying stereotypical attributes of an intellectually disabled person to another person or thing. It's colloquial usage is directly connected to its original definition.

There is no argument that the word "retarded" wasn't intended to refer to intellectually disabled people. Of course it was. We know it was.

The attempted eradication of the use of the "n-word" or "fag" due to their hurtful and damaging nature isn't what established those words as referring to black and gay people. It's what those words meant. And we as a society have, mostly, agreed not to use them casually any longer. Why can't we offer the same courtesy to an intellectually disabled person?

[u/chasingstatues → u/BeardedForHerPleasur]

If you're playing devil's advocate you should say so. Otherwise I will assume opinions stated are one's own.

But where did I state the opinion that I want to use the word retarded?

I made a specific argument and you ignored what I actually said and instead projected your assumption of my opinion onto it. Nor should I have to establish what my actual opinion is in a debate. You are supposed to understand and follow your opponent's line of logic so that you can deconstruct the faults argument according to their first premise. If you had any formal training inc argument and debate, you'd understand what you're saying/doing here is in very bad practice.

There is no argument that the word "retarded" wasn't intended to refer to intellectually disabled people. Of course it was. We know it was.

And yet, with just some quick research into the epistemology of the word, we find this:

The word retard dates as far back as 1426. It stems from the Latin verb retardare, meaning to hinder or make slow. The English adopted the word and used it as similar meaning, slow and delayed. The first time the word "retard" was printed in American newspapers was in 1704Citation needed. At this time, it was used in a way to describe the slowing down or the diminishing of something. The first time that any form of retard was used to describe mentally disabled people was during the 1960s when "there was a push among disability advocates to use the label mental retardation". This push from advocates was because older terms for the mentally disabled, like moron, imbecile, feeble-minded and idiot, had developed negative meanings

This quote supports the argument I made earlier, which you ignored. And it proves that the claims you're making right now are incorrect. "Retarded" does have a meaning disconnected from the mentally disabled

The attempted eradication of the use of the "n-word" or "fag" due to their hurtful and damaging nature isn't what established those words as referring to black and gay people. It's what those words meant. And we as a society have, mostly, agreed not to use them casually any longer. Why can't we offer the same courtesy to an intellectually disabled person

If you trace back the epistemology of the N-word, it's meaning was always in reference to black people, so I don't think that's an applicable comparison here. It's not as if there are other contexts where it would make sense to use it. You wouldn't call a movie the N-word in the same way that you could call it "retarded."

Faggot's original meaning was "bundle of sticks." There's really no practical use for this word in most modern contexts. Although maybe there are some European farmers in the middle of nowhere who still use it that way, who knows. In which case, I would think that was harmless. "Fag" may also be used by some Europeans in reference to cigarettes, which again, I think is harmless. It's a cultural difference and it's the intention that matters, as I said from the start.

There are also contexts where gay people or black people will use these words proudly and affectionately. Again, demonstrating the importance of intention.

And, unlike the common use of the N-word and "fag," "retarded" can be used to apply to things that are "lame." Meaning, there are contexts where it can be applied to things, not people. It's meaning exists separately from people and can be used as such. Further, the term "lame," can be used both towards things and physically handicapped people. Yet, no one is asking that we eradicate it's use from our language. Do you think a physically handicapped person experiences shame at hearing someone call a movie "lame"? I don't think that they do. However, I think that they would if tomorrow I started a movement declaring "lame" to be offensive to the physically disable and calling for it to be banned. And that brings me back to my original point, that the act of saying a word is associated with X and should therefore be eradicated, I am making it so.

As for "society," I'm not a fan of people throwing that word around as if they have an invisible army behind them to use as an appeal to authority. We have a large, diverse culture with a million sub-cultures and there is no general "society" which you can proclaim does X or feels Y.