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What are the attributes of dysfunctional family communication patterns?
by Answerbag Staff on February 22nd, 2010
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what would you like to transform into?
by Bornabrit 19 hours ago
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What 's the final countdown?
by Bornabrit 19 hours ago
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what if anything, are you frustrated with?
by Bornabrit 19 hours ago
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who would you say you were/ are closer to ,your mother or your father?
by Bornabrit 19 hours ago
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You're reading What is one thing that people say is unappropriate but you think its totally normal?
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To some people, its a pretty bad word - on the same level as "Nigger" which, taken literally, only means "black". Many people have used "retard" to mean subhuman, not worth considering, suitable for euthanasia. Maybe it doesn't mean that when it comes out ofd your mouth, but it can mean that when it goes into their ears.
by Im Alec has abandoned this account on February 15th, 2007
I am still offended by the word because I have worked with mentally retarded people, and although there is a difference between 'retard' and 'mentally retarded' (look it up on the dictionary) I still find that to call a mentally stable person retarded is an insult to mentally retarded people- using their condition as an offensive term to hurt others, it's insulting to the state and emotions of retarded people.
However, I am aware of the origins of the word, that 'retard' originated in the 1400's, and meant 'to delay'.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/retard - Look at the meaning on here, a 'retard' is today accepted to mean a social outcast.
I still can't help but affiliated the word, when it's used in anger towards someone, with mentally retarded people, though.
Interestingly, 'retard' on the online dictionary refers to both stupid and mentally retarded people, and slow movement [verb], whereas 'retarded' ONLY refers to the mentally impaired.
I guess it depends on how you see it, 'tis all :]
by Moon Unit on February 2nd, 2009