Actually, disabled is considered offensive too, for exactly the reason you specify. It's more PC to say "differently-abled". That's offensive. To 3rd graders.
Wow... this is exactly the shit I'm talking about. Either stop labeling these people at all and just accept them as people, or just accept that there's a fucking term for what you have and live with it. Changing the term every few years will never make their condition go away. They will always be seen as different, and there will always be a term for their condition.
Some of you are amazingly cold. Some of these people have very difficult lives. If calling them by a specific name or term eases or lessens the burden and difficulties that they have to endure on a daily bases why the hell not let them say how they want to be referred to as. Some of you are acting like you're the ones being inconvenienced. You're not.
But how does changing the term actually lessen the burden or difficulty? They're words Sly. They don't actually do anything. Some of these people are stricken with terrible illnesses and impairments, but the words that we use to describe those impairments have no physical effect on the people. Calling someone mentally retarded, or mentally handicapped, or mentally disabled, or mentally impaired, or now just differently-abled has no actual effect on making their condition go away. And there will always be people who judge them and make fun of them, it doesn't matter what the clinical term is for their condition. The root of the issue is that these people don't want to be thought of as different, or as in some way lesser. That's the whole point of the argument. They don't want society to think of them as less than anyone else. I totally get that. So my entire point is, if that's the root of it, why even keep creating terms to describe the condition in the first place? Why not just come out and say, "we don't want to be labeled at all."
I thought that's what we were essentially saying when we tell someone they should never go "full magnifier"
Do they actually ask for the changes, or is it the family members? Because in my experience, it's usually the family with the "special needs" child or relative that gets the most offended about how that person is treated.
You seem to be conflating how I interact with individuals and how I interact with society as a whole. When dealing with individuals, I am exceedingly polite and kind. I make great effort not to offend people, and to get along with everyone. It actually annoys my wife sometimes that I can amiably tease total strangers without creating problems, that I'm a peacemaker (even amongst her family), and that basically everyone likes me. But independently from that, I take issue with people attempting to change and neuter language because they don't like the way it makes them feel. I have always told my children that you cannot control what goes on around you, or even always what happens to you, but you can always control what you do and how you respond to your circumstances. I understand that many people have hard lives. I understand that many people are bullied for things that are beyond their control. I understand that many people face discrimination on a daily basis. What I don't understand is why some people feel it acceptable or necessary to mandate that others change to accommodate them. State a preference. Make a request. Then deal with the result, positive or negative. To insist that others obey your demands for speech and conduct, and then rail against them when they don't, is unreasonable to me.
OK? And those requests are unreasonable or inconvenient? It's a bad thing for family members to want their loved ones portrayed in as positive or less offensive way as possible?
Is it a never ending cycle though? Will they want to change it again in a couple of years? What's the shelf life of a term for mentally handicapped?
Language and thought evolves. Every year new words are added to the dictionary, existing words are further defined. Some words are even removed. It happens. It's not a bad or inconvenient thing. We're always looking for ways to express ourselves more accurately and fairly.
I think what it boils down to is there are people like you and BC who say, "they're just words, let them have it." Then there are people like me and Platypus who say, "they're just words, stop making such a big deal out of them."
The words are weapons. You'd rather keep (and apparently use) the weapon, I'd rather confiscate the weapon.
Now that the legal system is running out of reasons to imprison us, this opens a wonderful new area of opportunity to expand their empire.
used to be, you sheepishly took what someone called you, or it was pistols at dawn, or if you were unlucky, high noon. nobody wants to die with sweaty armpits. nowadays, you arent supposed to stick up for yourself, its up to groupthink to stick up for you. and its creating a generation of people who have never looked a bully in the eye and said "you got a fucking problem?" black eyes heal and broken noses can be reset, and throughout your life you will likely will look back at your scars fondly, if at all. but swallow your pride and allow someone to walk all over you? you will despise yourself for it till your dying day.
