Men's Group
In reply to the discussion: Well, another cowardly attack... [View all]lumberjack_jeff
(33,224 posts)I think that a minority of people made a compelling case that we were significantly and profoundly hurt and offended at "retarded". This was apparently enough to convince others that it wasn't a big imposition to change their language in light of the honest and compelling harm experienced by those affected.
"Hysteria"? "Douchebag"? "Shrill"? I think there's a perception that the motivation behind some of these is not an experience of personal offense, but an agenda of controlling the debate by controlling the words used in it.
YMMV. In my mind "bitch" and "pussy" pass the R word test and are therefore reasonable words to avoid.
But like the example of DU's disuse of the R word, I think the most effective form of word policing is self-policing.