An open letter to Ann Coulter (Page 4)

We have a winner.

I'm curious if people think Biden's "They're going to put y'all back in chains" comment deserves the same wrath and reprehension. Spare me the "it's not the same thing".

You have to take the Limbaughs, Colters, Hannitys, and others (and I'd point out some dems but I don't know of any off hand) in this world with a grain of salt--they are, in reality, entertainers more than anything else.

What I find really funny about all of this is that these are the folks (both D & R) that are supposedly the cream of the crop--educated in our nation's best universities and bred for success if-you-will--yet in reality they are no better than any other average, hard working person.  What does that say, really?

I wish I could expect more from their 100K educations and proper pedigrees....since they are making--and influence those making--the decisions that affect my future.

Edited by TriFlorida 2012-10-24 9:07 PM

I read that letter. I realize that this thread has degenerated but it got me thinking so here it goes anyways.

Until I was about 10 I remember calling people retarded, or more likely "a retard" quite frequently. Not really in an attempt to maliciously hurt someone's feelings but just as an indication that they did something stupid. I certainly didn't know what that term meant (I also didn't know what homo meant but that didn't stop me from calling my buddies homos).

So I remember in band class in grade 6, and someone called someone a retard. And the conductor darn near lost it, all with, "don't use that word" "do you know what that means" etc. So yeah, I felt bad, never used it again in a joke or to slur someone again.

I don't really know Ann Coulter. But, I know what she meant. I also think that Mr. Stephens knew what she meant. Rightly or wrongly there was a time when people with disabilities (physical or mental (although aren't all disabilities really physical?)) were put in closets and not appreciated as being valued and unique as everyone else. I don't really know the history of the word. I imagine it started as mental retardation, which would seem to be a reasonable way to describe someone who appears to have a cognitive delay (am I allowed to call someone cognitively delayed?). A retard is someone that is not valued, that is what I think Ann Coulter meant.

The term retard, currently, is not used by any educated person to describe someone with a cognitive delay. In fact, in my life, I do not remember that term being used to describe someone with down syndrome or aspergers or whatever. I would go out on a limb and say that I don't think Coulter would call someone with down syndrome a retard.

The word refers to something that doesn't exist and never existed. It is a word that is used to replace an idea or a stream of an ideas that the writer or speaker is too lazy to put into words. You could replace retard with 100 other slurs.

I don't use the word. People I know don't use the word. But we also don't go around calling people jerks or idiots.

I do deal with people who call people retards. I enjoy asking them what they mean. Usually they have not thought it out. However, and to me continual surprise, the answer you get back is at times a well thought out story as to why someone isn't valued.

Anyways.