Randy Cassingham's Blog

Posted by Charles, Texas on March 22, 2009:

You just *know* you are going to be crucified for even using the word "retard". Yet, the word "a la francaise" of cretin would seem much more appropriate. Have you considered that domain nom de plume? Sounds apprapot, maintenant. Vive la differance!

---

I did already address the political correctness of the term; I'll bold it to make it a little more obvious, but I shall not bow. -rc

Posted by Phil, San Antonio, TX, USA on March 22, 2009:

Despite my initials being "P.C.", I am far from it, and I totally agree with your creation and usage of the term "tardwit". My only other comment on this story is that I misread this tardwit's last name the first time I saw it and thought it was highly appropriate for where he will be spending the next few years.

Posted by Walter in Washington on March 22, 2009:

Reminds me of a scene on the FX TV show "Rescue Me".

twunt

You can't say tw@t on TV. You can't say c*nt on TV.

By you can say twunt All You Want!

(They manufactured a discussion where they "created" the word and then went to town.)

---

Heh! Of course, "Battlestar Galactica" also used the explicative "frack" -- way back in the late '70s, and on network TV, not cable! -rc

Posted by Cory, Kansas on March 22, 2009:

What kind of retarded tardwit would complain about such a fabulous word?

Cue short bus jokes!

---

I got a big complaint from one guy on Facebook, where I posted a link to this page. My response was, "Please don't put words in my mouth, Ed: I didn't call people who objected 'politically correct whiners', I called them 'retards'. If any of your family members is mentally retarded -- like a member of MY family is -- your objection is noted. If not, then your objection is flatly rejected." So there. -rc

Posted by Ken, Nevada on March 22, 2009:

Tardwit is a recently coined unique word, and as such is not part or parcel of any other word, therefore must not have the readers own flawed opinion thrust upon it.

If the use of the word retard is not acceptable in today's language, then that would negate the Prestigious Award bestowed upon me when I was the head of Special Olympics Area Three for Nevada in the 1980's, by my own athletes, who blessed me with the title "Honorary Retard". Meaning to them that we were equal in respect and standing with each other. Now if these people with different or diminished abilities could understand the word and not panic when it was spoken and you can't, well, I will reserve you a place somewhere below their ability to comprehend.

Posted by Greg, Washington on March 22, 2009:

The issue at hand is the negative connotation for "retarded" that you're reinforcing. A "retarded" person is merely slow. The people you're singling out are perniciously stupid megatwits hurt themselves and others, and you're associating "tard" with that kind of harmful, hurtful stupidity.

"There are no retards who read my work." - So if you found out no Black people read your work, that would be an excuse to use racial epithets? I can't believe you even made that argument. Right and wrong are not dependent on who's watching.

More to the point, how many readers do you have who know someone who is retarded, care about someone who is retarded, and would take offense to you grouping a loving, caring disabled person in with the professional grade shmucks you're writing about?

Forget political correctness. It's common human decency. You're promoting a hurtful stereotype while taking a backhanded swipe at a class of people who are least able to defend themselves.

You're better than that and you can do better at coming up with a word that means what you're trying to convey.

---

Your "right and wrong" argument is a good one, but your definition is wrong -- "retarded" in a psycho-medical sense doesn't mean "slow". My point, and I think the vast majority will understand it implicitly and immediately, is that political correctness demands that we shy away from perfectly good and valid words. "Crippled" became "handicapped" -- which was great until people started objecting to that word, too. Then came "differently abled" and other steaming bullshit. I can walk today thanks to multiple surgeries; before that I was crippled, and to hell with anyone who wanted to patronize me with garbage like "differently abled". I can stand now, thank you, but won't stand for politically correct weasel-wording. "Retarded" is a fine and useful word; it was not created as an epithet (as are the sort of words you have in mind with your almost, but not quite, parallel concept). I stand by the word. -rc

Posted by Cory, Topeka Kansas on March 22, 2009:

Dear Greg in Washington:

I grew up with and loved very much a very retarded uncle who finally died from complications stemming from his lifestyle. When I got old enough, I fed him, gave him drink, used a crane to lift him in and out of bed, used a crane to lift him in and out of his van.

Russel (We called him RTD as this was not only his initial, but RTD is the name of the Denver bus service that he relied on heavily for transportation) could not go anywhere or do anything on his own. He pissed in a jar and shat in a bag. If he messed his face while eating, somebody had to clean him.

Russel stands to this day as great inspiration to me. Not only did he not sit around the house (even though all he could do is sit around) bemoaning his lot in life and resenting those who made him the way he was (his retardation was a result of a doctor's error during birth), but he lived life to the fullest that he was capable - and this includes having a sense of humor about himself and those around him. His laugh was very unique - like nothing you have ever heard. Sounded more like a short reverse sneeze. But this never prevented him from laughing and enjoying everything around him. He realized that life was too short for that.

Growing up in the environment that I did, I saw plenty of handicapped and retarded children grow bitter about their position in life. Note that I say grow. They grew this way because people taught them that they were lesser and that they should be bitter. People that think the way you do cause more harm to these people who struggle the way they do. They don't need bitterness, they need quite the opposite. And if it turns out that you are one of these people - I'm sorry that you have developed the attitude you have.

Now I'm all teary eyed remember Russel. Thanks for reminding me of such a great person. I needed that.

Posted by Walter, Hialeah FL on March 23, 2009:

Your term "Fidiot" should be changed to "Fudiot".

And I am not taking you to task because the term "retard" is used universally but for us parents who have mentally challenged (not retarded) children take a deep breath when we see the word used.

Posted by Dan in Florida on March 23, 2009:

Now you're even registering separate domains for individual blog postings? Personally, I believe in using domain names logically as the founding geeks of the Internet intended, and have most of my own sites in logical subdomains; I haven't registered any new domains in years. I also avoid using .com addresses for sites that aren't commercial in intent.

---

My work is obviously commercial. Obviously I'm not registering domains for every concept I write about, but if something has commercial intent, it'd be stupid not to back up my investment. And I do try not to be stupid. -rc

Posted by Brandon from South Carolina on March 23, 2009:

Hmmm... I could see this word catching on.

I'm surprised that there's only one commenter criticizing your use of the word "retard." I'm also disappointed that the PC tardwit that DID show up was one of the "less mentally capable" members of the class. A few families at my church include retarded children, and they use the term retarded. Some of the kids of average intelligence in those families use the term retarded in the common vernacular way. One of my best friends has an uncle who is mentally retarded, and she HATES the politically correct people who insist on ceasing use of the word retarded altogether, AND the politically correct people who insist it should only be used in the medical sense.