Quote:
Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito
A lot of it I think also has to do with the intent people have when using these terms as well.
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This.
I wouldn't take offense to something being said when the person expressing themselves had no ill intentions when using such words.
I have an uncle who is mentally handicapped. And yes, that's what I say. Without going into the entire story and possibility of causes, around thirteen years old, he started having epileptic seizures. Eventually, he was having them so frequently, he had to be put on numerous medications which essentially "handicapped" him, and put him in a wheelchair. Even to call him mentally challenged or disabled seems weird to me. Ironically, as slow, and as barely talkative, and needing as much help as he does in life, he is extremely intelligent. My mom's side of the family has a tradition of playing Trivial Pursuit at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My uncle will be put on a team, and won't say much during the entire game. But when a question pops up that people don't even understand well enough to answer, he'll randomly blurt out the correct answer.
I think there are too many variations of mental and physical illnesses to make such definitions of "handicapped" and "disabled" encompass them all. And whichever word you use, I think it will eventually be looked at in a negative way.
However, I can understand the changing from "He is autistic" to "He has autism." But at the same time, I also wouldn't take offense if someone said the former.
I guess I just don't understand the extreme change from handicapped being ok to use, to it becoming extremely offensive. Even the word "retard" took centuries to be changed from a verb to a noun, and then considered offensive.
And to be completely honest, I am becoming tired of all of this PCness. Especially when people are simply following trends and using words that have been used for years, not knowing that they have apparently taken on a negative connotation.