Matt Albert
Period 2
10/15/15
Language Essay
The internet is a place where people from all over the world have the opportunity to voice their opinion. However, this includes the misuse of hurtful words that can single people out. Time and time again I have witnessed people misuse the word retard, whether it be referring to something as “retarded” or even trying to insult someone by calling them a “retard”. The other day while discussing an upcoming test with one of my classmates, I heard the word “retarded”. If I remember correctly he said “How am I supposed to remember all these formulas, this is retarded” The problem is that he didn’t realize by saying this he was using discriminatory language toward an entire group of people.
The use of the word “retard” is an issue that seems to occur all the time without much thought. When someone is confronted with using this word they will usually say something along the lines of “I didn’t mean it like that”. Nevertheless, this word cannot be taken back. What people do not seem to realize is that …show more content…
The first recorded use of the word “retard” in association to being mentally slow was in 1895. The phrase “retarded” was meant to replace other hurtful words such as idiot, fool, and imbecile because at the time retarded was not yet a derogatory term. However, by the 1960s the term had started to take on a derogatory meaning of its own.
The new slang meaning of “retard” has now been active in society for quite a while. Bullies use it all the time in attempts to hurt others, people use it ignorantly to describe things, people use it to refer to themselves when they make mistakes, and the slang word has become so popular that it appears in many rap songs. Some know what they are doing when they say it but the majority of it’s users don’t mean it in an offensive way to those with mental illness. They have plainly fallen into the habit of using slang. They most likely do not even realize what it
Period 2
10/15/15
Language Essay
The internet is a place where people from all over the world have the opportunity to voice their opinion. However, this includes the misuse of hurtful words that can single people out. Time and time again I have witnessed people misuse the word retard, whether it be referring to something as “retarded” or even trying to insult someone by calling them a “retard”. The other day while discussing an upcoming test with one of my classmates, I heard the word “retarded”. If I remember correctly he said “How am I supposed to remember all these formulas, this is retarded” The problem is that he didn’t realize by saying this he was using discriminatory language toward an entire group of people.
The use of the word “retard” is an issue that seems to occur all the time without much thought. When someone is confronted with using this word they will usually say something along the lines of “I didn’t mean it like that”. Nevertheless, this word cannot be taken back. What people do not seem to realize is that …show more content…
The first recorded use of the word “retard” in association to being mentally slow was in 1895. The phrase “retarded” was meant to replace other hurtful words such as idiot, fool, and imbecile because at the time retarded was not yet a derogatory term. However, by the 1960s the term had started to take on a derogatory meaning of its own.
The new slang meaning of “retard” has now been active in society for quite a while. Bullies use it all the time in attempts to hurt others, people use it ignorantly to describe things, people use it to refer to themselves when they make mistakes, and the slang word has become so popular that it appears in many rap songs. Some know what they are doing when they say it but the majority of it’s users don’t mean it in an offensive way to those with mental illness. They have plainly fallen into the habit of using slang. They most likely do not even realize what it