Exactly. There is a vast difference, at least in my mind, between using mentally retarded in a medical/diagnostic sense and calling a situation or attitude "retarded" or a person a "retard" or "tard."

Here's another one for you....

Okay, Greece is called "Hellas" in Greek, hence the term "Hellenic" to refer to things Greek.

I recently went to a concert at our local "Hellenic Community Centre", (formerly the Greek Community Centre). I asked my Greek friend about it and she said that "Greek" actually comes from a Turkish word meaning "slave"! I was :eek::eek::eek:

So I wouldn't be surprised if we see that change over time as well.

The word "Greek" isn't changing at this stage of the game.

And your friend was wrong -- "Greek" comes the name of a tribe or group of people (the Graikos) that once lived in what is now Greece but migrated to what is now Italy and were called (in Latin) Graecus.

And I almost had to cuss out a Gypsy woman selling roses in Manhattan who thought it was okay to blow cigarette smoke in our faces.

These people are a relatively small percentage of the world's population of Gypsies. The stereotype has taken over because most people will never interact with a substantial portion of Gypsies. That includes that potentially nonrepresentative group for Newsweek's interview. :)

I stopped saying "gyped" years ago and I compare it to people saying "jew me."

I don't say "retard" unless I'm actually talking about someone who is "mentally retarded." I will keep saying "mentally retarded" for people who are medically considered "mentally retarded." That isn't an insult or a stereotype. As KSig said, it is accurate and well-documented.

And if I remember right, they don't call themselves Gypsies, do they? Don't they call themselves Romani or Roma?

I found this. http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/feature/gypsy1.html

From my limited experiences, those who call themselves Gypsies may be doing so because outsiders identify them as such.

When I was a server, I was told by one of my customers that calling them "gypsies" is like calling a black person the "n-word." This was after he'd overheard one of my fellow servers using the word.

But I think the group that lives near this area are referred to as "Irish Travelers" so I don't know if that is the same thing or not.

The point is that, if it is unacceptable and hurtful to me, there is no reason I should tolerate it. The word is offensive to me and I do not allow anyone to use it toward me, casually or not. A lecture is not necessary, but I may give one if they ask me why I feel the way I do. ;) I ask people not to use it around me, though I can't demand that they don't. Usually, they respect that unless they're just complete jerks and say it more to annoy me (some people are just mean-spirited that way)--in which case, I just remove myself.

That's interesting. Does "gypsy" have an offensive origin or did it simply develop a stigma?

"Irish Traveler" isn't an ethnic distinction so I wouldn't use that to refer to a group of people. :p

/end thread hijack...maybe

It's from Greek, the same root as Egypt/Egyptian. It comes from the incorrect idea that the Romani originated in Egypt. Legend was they were exiled from Egypt for giving refuge to the Holy Family.

And actually Irish Travelers (they call themselves Pavees) are recognized as an ethnic group by British law. Irish law designates them a "social group." Though not Romani, due to the similar roaming lifestyle, Irish Travelers were sometimes called Gypsies in Britain and Ireland.

Yeah, I agree that kind of stuff is over the top. Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the deaf community as a whole said recently that they prefer "deaf" to "hearing impaired"? I mean, I go past WPSD (Western PA School for the Deaf) frequently, not WPSHI.

I looked at the wikipedia entry on gypsies, and IMO it doesn't ever seem to have been the most complimentary term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsies

Thanks.

Right, "Irish Travelers" is the ethnic group. The technical ethnic distinction is Pavees (some call "white Gypsy"), but not "Irish Travelers." ETA: This is despite the fact that almost everyone who knows about them calls them "Irish Travelers."

ETA2: But, in actuality, they are one of the many white ethnic groups that I would forget exists. In general, I find their history and "ethnic struggles" to be interesting, just as I do other white ethnicities who choose not to (or situationally choose when to) assimilate into "mainstream whiteness."

In biology there is a lab procedure that tests the binding of a protein to DNA and it used to be called a 'gel retardation assay'. Now, it is called a 'gel shift assay'.

It's not just the word - it's what the word contributes to.According to Special Olympics, less than 10% of people with intellectual disabilities in the United States are employed, compared to 50% of U.S. Special Olympics athletes, compared to 92% of the general population. By using the r-word, people indirectly help ostracize those with intellectual disabilities – by increasing awareness of the issue, we can help foster a greater acceptance of those with intellectual disabilities into our community.

So, shall we change it to "mentally shifted" instead of "mentally retarded?"

"Shift" would constitute a shift in mindset.