Secular Café: Just words?

Secular Café Discuss philosophical concepts and moral issues.

Just words? May 23rd 2012, 03:58 I wondered about this:- http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/847...dents-retarded The problem being the year book used the term "Mentally Retarded". When I was younger, this was the standard, polite term to use for someone with a lower than normal intellect, while "Spastic' was a normal, indeed medical term used to describe Cerebal Paulsy. People of course adopted "Retard" and "Spaz" as insults, with the result that it became un-PC to use those terms. But where does it end? I noted a case recently where a child objected to being termed "Special", and calling someone an "Aspie" has become a popular derogatory term. Do we need to just face up to the fact that words mean what they mean, and the fact that some are hijacked as insults shouldn't change their use? After all, I believe "Developmentally delayed" is the current PC term. Well, the development we are talking about is MENTAL development, and something which is delayed could also be termed impeded- or RETARDED. If changing the words doesn't change what you mean, why change the words?

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