Mitt Romney's Tax Plan

your rapier wit has wounded me beyond reproach.

 

Poor choice of words.

 

sheeple is a much better word.

 

I get what you're saying, and respect that you feel that way. But it's like saying "I didn't MEAN anything bad by calling you ***got"...when someone who is a homosexual sees that as societies acceptance of a derogatory term.

As I doubt there are many of us here who are special needs here (I have no doubt that high functioning 'special needs' adults or teens do post here), it's very easy for us to dismiss the power of that word.

It's why it's not acceptable to say "don't jew me down in price", or make jokes about different cultures, etc.

If you look at the spirit of how something is said, it doesn't take away the true meaning behind the word or the origins of the word.

like the NBA commercial (cheesy as it may be) about the word "gay". We all know what it means to call someone or something 'gay', to act as though it doesn't mean that is disingenuous.

 

thanks. I also thought about it this way (as you can tell, certain things Im passionate about, and this is one of them).

One of the things that I've tried to teach the people that Ive worked with/for, is the the power of communication/speech. Some of the adults I've worked with can't speak for themselves. They lack the ability to communicate verbally. They can't tell you that what you said hurts their feelings, makes them happy, sad, etc. Of course, if you work with them long enough you learn to read a lot of their body language. But my point is this...

Words have greater power than most of us realize or want to realize. This isn't about being offended, or anything of that sort. This is about power, respect, honesty, love and dignity. To use a term that has historically been used to diminish, or even dehumanize a group of people, should not be acceptable to anyone.

I've worked with adults who aren't verbal, but are intelligent enough to know what it is I'm saying, or others are saying. And I know what it's like to see their face when we're in public and someone says something along the lines of "Man, person is such a 'tard" or "don't be such a retard!" or whatever.

The know what that word means. They've grown up hearing that word in a totally different manner than you or I have. They've been called that, and not in a "ha ha" joking manner. They've been called that because they ARE different, they are "mentally/physically retarded". I've seen the look on their face when they relive the embarrassment or pain of being called that, or hearing people use that term to signify someone doing something stupid, or dumb, or ignorant.

But unlike you or me, they can't say anything about it. They don't have the ability or the power to respond to it. And to see people, who are obviously adults and have cognitive skills that allow them to carry on conversations with other people (and read body language, facial expressions, etc) use those terms, it hurts. It hurts them and it hurts me. And there have been times when I've seen it said around them and I'm in shock that they do it right in front of people who have special needs.

It's not about being politically correct, it's not about being offended or not, it's about being respectful and giving someone else the same dignity you'd expect for yourself.

So maybe I overreacted (I don't think I did, but that's how I feel. Others obviously don't have to feel that way).

 

Just havin' some fun. I'll change your post back if you want.