There’s a clear campaign against the mentally ill with the global rise of fascism. Lots of it shows up in anti homeless rhetoric, but you can see it in the MAHA and anti vaccination movements.
There’s no reason to use the word “r-tarded” to describe someone. As someone who’s worked with the intellectually challenged, it’s an insult to them to compare them with people who are willfully ignorant.
Ironically, the term “mental retardation” was introduced by medical and educational professionals as a less derogatory and more objective replacement for older, highly stigmatizing terms like idiot, moron, and imbecile, which themselves were previous medical classifications.
I think about this a lot. I feel like it essentially means the middle school bullies of today drive the slurs of tomorrow.
I think we should go back to learning the old adage “sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me”
Hell, anymore I chuckle inwardly when someone in-person resorts to any subtle sophistry like ad-hom.
Now I’m free to play games with you rather than stay on the subject in front of us.
I have siblings, we were like wolves growing up. Don’t dare show a weak spot, or that button will get pushed, repeatedly.
Someone tries to shame me, or goad me, oh what fun I shall have with them!
Sounds like it made you stronger