Poll: Hate Speech?

[Lineoutt]

So apparently there is a new thing called "Rosa's Law" it basically bans the word Retarded. When I first heard this I was conflicted about it. Retarded is a fine word. It rolls great off the tongue, is banning it going to do anythign to free speech?

What's your opinion?

Here's the story:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/rosas-law-asks-senate-kill-slur-mentally-retarded/story?id=9109319

EDIT: Aah poll broken, sorry.

 

[hurfdurp]

That just makes it more alluring.

 

[Furious Styles]

You should never ban a word, even a really bad one.

And retard? Are you kidding me? That's one of the funniest and most fun to say words in the English language. Ban something truly horrible if you really have to but leave retard alone!

 

[Bon_Clay]

Sounds like complete bullshit. Especially for something that is essentially a legitimate medical term. People need to stop being so god damn sensitive, it makes me want to vomit in rage.

In my opinion banning a word does more to make the group it refers to seem inferior. If the government has to step in and say "Hey stop making fun of them you guys!", it just seems condescending.

I use the word retard and retarded all the time as generic insults, absolutely no intention of changing that. I have nothing against people with any type of mental illness or disabilities. I have relatives with schizophrenia, one with autism, and have dealt with kids with ADHD and Down's Syndrome. But I know the difference of using the term depending on the context.

 

[Vampire cat]

I'm making one up; "Puh, that is sooo skinny middle-aged man"... And all the skinny middle-aged men will be like "what the hell??" We should keep making up new slurs until all English words are banned, then do so with all other languages until only Norwegian remains... AAAAHAHAHAHAH! EEVIIIIL!

 

[Fwee]

Banning the word "retarded"?
That's retarded.
And queer.


But on a serious note, they're fighting a battle that will never be won. Personally I enjoy the word, but only in the context of describing an act of stupidity in the face of logical thought. Not in the sense of describing someone with mental/development hindrances.

 

[Lineoutt]

I'm making one up; "Puh, that is sooo skinny middle-aged man"... And all the skinny middle-aged men will be like "what the hell??" We should keep making up new slurs until all English words are banned, then do so with all other languages until only Norwegian remains... AAAAHAHAHAHAH! EEVIIIIL!

But "skinny middle-aged man"? no that doesnt work that like calling someone "hey! adult inflicted with down syndrome" you gotta shorten it . Besides I don't think that would ever fly, retarded is waayyy to fun to say.

 

[Tydanubus]

Guys, my lab experiment started on fire! Hand me that fire-retardant blanket-

OH SHIIIIIIIIII

 

[AvsJoe]

I watched a movie the other day called The Incident from 1967. It was one of Martin Sheen's first roles. It was an okay movie, very dated, but situations depicted in that movie still happen today and the message is as poignant as ever.

The only reason I bring this up is that most of the movie takes place on a single subway car. Inside of the car is a very noticeable advertisement that is telling people to help mentally retarded people, using the very terminology that is frowned upon today. How did "retarded" go from the socially-accepted term to a hateful slur so quickly?

 

[MetroidNut]

Guys, my lab experiment started on fire! Hand me that fire-retardant blanket-

OH SHIIIIIIIIII

Heh. Indeed.

Trying to ban a word is an amusing exercise in futility.

 

[VicunaBlue]

This doesn't seem like it will affect the common man... It asks government and institutional codes to change their wording slightly. No reason to be concerned.

 

[Vampire cat]

I'm making one up; "Puh, that is sooo skinny middle-aged man"... And all the skinny middle-aged men will be like "what the hell??" We should keep making up new slurs until all English words are banned, then do so with all other languages until only Norwegian remains... AAAAHAHAHAHAH! EEVIIIIL!

But "skinny middle-aged man"? no that doesnt work that like calling someone "hey! adult inflicted with down syndrome" you gotta shorten it . Besides I don't think that would ever fly, retarded is waayyy to fun to say.

Indeed. Skimid.Thats good enough? No, your right...

Hmmm.... I'll have to get into my brilliance-pod-of-thinking-up-ingenious-schemes-machine-device...-thing...

 

[Scde2]

This has nothing to do with free speech.

Here is a working link to the story.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/rosas-law-asks-senate-kill-slur-mentally-retarded/story?id=9109319

Rosa -- who Nick calls the "smartest person I know" -- has Down syndrome and is now at the center of a bill in Congress to strike the term "mentally retarded" from the federal lexicon.

The bill will only replace the word "retarded" in federal health and education statutes. It's not going to make the word illegal.

EDIT:
Ninja'd by mere seconds...

This doesn't seem like it will affect the common man... It asks government and institutional codes to change their wording slightly. No reason to be concerned.

 

[Lord Devius]

I'm sorry, let's look at the literal definition of retard.

?verb (used with object)
1. to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

Those who have "intellectual disabilities" are mentally retarded.

To the lawyers: Fuck you, learn what the word means, you retard.

?noun
4. Slang: Disparaging.
b. a person who is stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way.

This isn't hate speech, in my opinion, to stay on topic.

 

[Dags90]

This doesn't seem like it will affect the common man... It asks government and institutional codes to change their wording slightly. No reason to be concerned.

Pretty much this. It is outdated and insensitive terminology. It's like calling people "lame" or "dumb" because they can't walk or speak, respectively.

 

[JWW]

Well, it just means that they aren't going to use the term "retarded" in government law, which is fine.

But as for hate speech in general, it's no different from censorship.

 

[iLikeHippos]

I'm making one up; "Puh, that is sooo skinny middle-aged man"... And all the skinny middle-aged men will be like "what the hell??" We should keep making up new slurs until all English words are banned, then do so with all other languages until only Norwegian remains... AAAAHAHAHAHAH! EEVIIIIL!

But "skinny middle-aged man"? no that doesnt work that like calling someone "hey! adult inflicted with down syndrome" you gotta shorten it . Besides I don't think that would ever fly, retarded is waayyy to fun to say.

Well, you could always start abusing the words "White boy" and "Caucasian" until the point they start to get deeply offensive.

Aaaand you work yourself from there.

 

[Shock and Awe]

Do they have any idea how much money/effort/time it would take to make that change to every federal and medical document? And because of someone's self esteem? I am gonna have to go with no on this.

 

[Lineoutt]

I'm making one up; "Puh, that is sooo skinny middle-aged man"... And all the skinny middle-aged men will be like "what the hell??" We should keep making up new slurs until all English words are banned, then do so with all other languages until only Norwegian remains... AAAAHAHAHAHAH! EEVIIIIL!

But "skinny middle-aged man"? no that doesnt work that like calling someone "hey! adult inflicted with down syndrome" you gotta shorten it . Besides I don't think that would ever fly, retarded is waayyy to fun to say.

Well, you could always start abusing the words "White boy" and "Caucasian" until the point they start to get deeply offensive.

Aaaand you work yourself from there.

Yeah, I think caucasian is better because it is a legal term. But how can white people insult other white people for being white?

 

[Something Amyss]

Sounds like complete bullshit. Especially for something that is essentially a legitimate medical term. People need to stop being so god damn sensitive, it makes me want to vomit in rage.

You do know it really isn't a legit medical term anymore, right?

By the way, you're also aware this law effectively only alters Federal-level jargon, right? Nobody's going to stop you from calling someone a retard.