Comments on: Note to self http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/ A few thoughts and other random stuff I found interesting. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:29:31 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Martha http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5972 Martha Sun, 20 May 2007 03:52:40 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5972 Well, when it is accomapnied by a large picture of said type of person, it makes it difficult to not get that picture. I guess I was thinking from a mom's point of view. If that was my kid in the picture, I'd be a little offended by it, unless she created the comic. Well, when it is accomapnied by a large picture of said type of person, it makes it difficult to not get that picture. I guess I was thinking from a mom’s point of view. If that was my kid in the picture, I’d be a little offended by it, unless she created the comic.

]]> By: Anon http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5973 Anon Sun, 20 May 2007 03:25:04 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5973 I'm not sure what was said, but I'm guessing it was similar to, "Arguing on the internet is retarded." Would it have been better to say "Arguing on the internet is not an advanced form of communication."? If it's not "advanced", it's "retarded". The words are antonyms. The words "retarded" and "retard" both have legitimate uses. For example, "The cheap gas in my 73 Nova made the engine knock, so I had to retard the timing." What's more insulting to the handicapped, a person who uses a word as it's intended without slanderous intent, or a person who reads the word "retarded" or "retard" and only thinks of a mentally handicapped person? I’m not sure what was said, but I’m guessing it was similar to, “Arguing on the internet is retarded.”

Would it have been better to say “Arguing on the internet is not an advanced form of communication.”? If it’s not “advanced”, it’s “retarded”. The words are antonyms.

The words “retarded” and “retard” both have legitimate uses. For example, “The cheap gas in my 73 Nova made the engine knock, so I had to retard the timing.”

What’s more insulting to the handicapped, a person who uses a word as it’s intended without slanderous intent, or a person who reads the word “retarded” or “retard” and only thinks of a mentally handicapped person?

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5974 JB Fri, 18 May 2007 23:00:28 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5974 Ah ha! Ah ha!

]]> By: nstryker http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5975 nstryker Fri, 18 May 2007 22:18:57 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5975 sorry i missed your previous apology. that'll larn me for skimming. dan- we're such suckers playing right into jared's evil plan. :-) sorry i missed your previous apology. that’ll larn me for skimming.

dan- we’re such suckers playing right into jared’s evil plan. :-)

]]> By: Dan http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5976 Dan Fri, 18 May 2007 21:01:10 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5976 Thinking about the image itself (not this post) and it's rather ironic. It leads me to believe it's meant to be loaded and disruptive to cause arguing even if it's primary goal is to prevent internet arguing. Thinking about the image itself (not this post) and it’s rather ironic. It leads me to believe it’s meant to be loaded and disruptive to cause arguing even if it’s primary goal is to prevent internet arguing.

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5977 JB Fri, 18 May 2007 19:49:44 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5977 It's a matter of interpretation, and I interpreted it to be as I have described; which does <strong>not</strong> imply that mentally handicapped people have a lesser value as human beings (I'm not sure where you're getting that from); that's pretty clear from my comments. Sorry you took it that way. I have also apologized already because I realized that a lot of people did interpret it that way, and I therefore took it down. I will stand by my position that it was not intended that way, and by my apology for posting something that <em>could</em> be easily misinterpreted as it obviously has been. It’s a matter of interpretation, and I interpreted it to be as I have described; which does not imply that mentally handicapped people have a lesser value as human beings (I’m not sure where you’re getting that from); that’s pretty clear from my comments. Sorry you took it that way.

I have also apologized already because I realized that a lot of people did interpret it that way, and I therefore took it down. I will stand by my position that it was not intended that way, and by my apology for posting something that could be easily misinterpreted as it obviously has been.

]]> By: nstryker http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5978 nstryker Fri, 18 May 2007 15:00:44 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5978 the message of the image you posted is clear to everyone who has commented so far and stands in stark contrast to the "what, are you blind?" scenario: no matter what accomplishments a mentally handicapped person makes, (s)he will have a lesser net value as a human being due to their handicap. i'm sorry i used the word in a completely different context almost a year ago. i called you on this because i consider you to be "above" this kind of humor and respect you for it. please stop trying to defend it and just say sorry. the message of the image you posted is clear to everyone who has commented so far and stands in stark contrast to the “what, are you blind?” scenario: no matter what accomplishments a mentally handicapped person makes, (s)he will have a lesser net value as a human being due to their handicap.

i’m sorry i used the word in a completely different context almost a year ago. i called you on this because i consider you to be “above” this kind of humor and respect you for it. please stop trying to defend it and just say sorry.

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5979 JB Fri, 18 May 2007 05:24:22 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5979 Good thing I didn't use the word "retard" then, huh? See the wikipedia link I posted above that references "mentally retarded" as a scientific phrase that has gradually taken on a derogatory meaning in common cultural use, similar to the word "gay". I believe that the way it was used in the picture I posted (not authored, BTW) was as a reference to the scientific / medical condition, and hyperbolically comparing the mental state of someone who is behaving foolishly with someone who has a legitimate medical condition affecting their mental capacity. Imagine if you were looking for something right in front of your face, and I queried "what, are you <em>blind</em>?", or if you were having trouble hearing something I was saying and I asked "what, are you <em>deaf</em>?". Such jabs at you (an obviously non-blind, non-deaf person) neither implicitly contain nor imply ill feelings or discrimination towards people who actually do suffer from the medical conditions of blindness and/or deafness. Get it? Good thing I didn’t use the word “retard” then, huh? See the wikipedia link I posted above that references “mentally retarded” as a scientific phrase that has gradually taken on a derogatory meaning in common cultural use, similar to the word “gay”.

I believe that the way it was used in the picture I posted (not authored, BTW) was as a reference to the scientific / medical condition, and hyperbolically comparing the mental state of someone who is behaving foolishly with someone who has a legitimate medical condition affecting their mental capacity.

Imagine if you were looking for something right in front of your face, and I queried “what, are you blind?”, or if you were having trouble hearing something I was saying and I asked “what, are you deaf?”. Such jabs at you (an obviously non-blind, non-deaf person) neither implicitly contain nor imply ill feelings or discrimination towards people who actually do suffer from the medical conditions of blindness and/or deafness. Get it?

]]> By: Anonymous http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5980 Anonymous Fri, 18 May 2007 05:02:19 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5980 <blockquote> retard: 4. Slang: Disparaging. a. a mentally retarded person. b. a person who is stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way: a hopeless social retard.</blockquote>

retard:
4. Slang: Disparaging.
a. a mentally retarded person.
b. a person who is stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way: a hopeless social retard.

]]> By: JB http://freepressblog.org/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/comment-page-1/#comment-5981 JB Fri, 18 May 2007 04:06:34 +0000 http://freepressblog.org/blog/2007/05/16/note-to-self-3/#comment-5981 PS - Nathan, I'm glad we've both learned our lesson on this particular word; I guess it just took me a bit longer than <a href="http://nstryker.com/blog/2006/08/06/evening/#comment-1957" rel="nofollow">you</a>. PS – Nathan, I’m glad we’ve both learned our lesson on this particular word; I guess it just took me a bit longer than you.

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