Reminder: Ableist slurs are NOT allowed regardless of who they are directed at.
Read up!
https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/impact/why-the-r-word-is-the-r-slur
Long ago, my father would inspect hospitals and would have to call in his reports and I’d frequently hear the r-word - in its original form - in those instances, at least originally. And like you say, that word was originally meant as a euphemism since it just means “slowed”.
A term that was more frequently slung around on our playground, probably more than the r-word was “sped”, which took me a long time to connect with the shorthand for saying SPecial EDucation.
Yeah, I’ve never liked the outrage surrounding this because people are such hypocrites. People will censor you for using r*****, but then turn right around and call you an idiot or a moron, as if they aren’t the same thing with the same shitty sentiment behind it.
Good men don’t need rules?
*Noooo don’t call an actual real life monster and a fascist a no no word noooo that makes you just as bad as them nooooo! *
so calling him any slur is okay, or just this one?
i mean, fuck that guy, but that word has a heavy and hateful impact on some people. i just think it’s easier for people to ignore that one than to ignore several others, unfortunately.
You managed to call them a monster and a fascist without resorting to ableist slurs just fine. Get over it.
I can get over minor things and words that don’t matter just fine. Can you? Thick skin and resilience matters a whole of a lot more than nagging other people about certain words.
Do you say the same thing when someone uses the n-slur, f-slur, c-slur, b-slur, s-slur, w-slur, or any other slurs?
I know 2 of those I think. I don’t know what c through w is referring to though
I don’t know what c through w is referring to though
Cunt, bitch, slut, Wagnerian. I hate those bastards blasting me with the Nibelungen overture.
Thick skin and resilience matters a whole of a lot more than nagging other people about certain words.
[citation needed]
If you can really get over minor things then why did you post this? Seems like you’re still nagging people over word choice. Some thicker skin would avoid this problem.
This is the only place they feel control in their lives so they feel the need to flex it incessantly.
I feel myself lose control of my bladder and sphincters all the time. How would I feel myself lose control if I didnt have control to begin with? Checkmate. /s
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The reason good people don’t need rules is because they wouldn’t violate them even if they did. Using that to rationalize being a jerk is misapplying it.
If you’re a “good man,” you wouldn’t be using the r-slur in the first place. The exact cognitive dissonance which allows fascists to be fascists is that they believe themselves to be good people and therefore don’t need rules. But instead of actually being good people, they use this as an excuse to be terrible to others.
Go look at the mod’s profile page. That’s where I got that.
Honestly, I think its a bullshit statement, so I called him out.
And then you ate the onion.Oh that was juicy. Thank you for that one.
;)
If only there were good people on the Internet… 😂
I found one! ☝️
N-word offensiveness comes from the historical marginalization of a group of people.
Intellect is relative, which is very different. I feel that is the reason why, for me, R is still uncomfortable, but not as offensive? I don’t use the word, but I’ve basically never encountered a deliberate marginalization of the intellectually disabled. The marginalization by race, however…
Mods, this isn’t the hill to die on and you know it.
Man, I agree with you, but these are the rules:
“All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed.”
How you execute a consistent set of policies when the rules say you don’t have to be consistent is beyond me.
LOL! I think it’s one of those “read the room first” situations.
I’ve always said Kash Patel deserves 100% of the shit the GOP spews thrown right back in his “special needs” face… but that IS a slur against the actual people that are disabled, since Patel isn’t really needing of any special treatment or help… beyond the karmic swift one in the pants he so deserves.
Which should be given with extreme wit, vigor and prejudice.
Consider the actual definition of the word not just how it makes you feel…it applies to both Patel personally and his role in the current administration, he is actively retarding our entire law enforcement system as well as the investigation against the single largest, most vile, and most influential criminal organization to ever exist. It can be a slur but it’s not inherently a slur.
Ban all who dare use slurs against fascists pedophiles!
Fascists sealioning and normalizing genocide? Okie dokie.
Did they all reply to the posts with “yeah, we know”?
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Hey mods, I didn’t direct the r-word at anyone, specifically mentioned that it’s offensive, and suggested the alternative and legally defensible term googly-eyed chud. I think the automod needs to calm down a bit.
I wasn’t the one who did it, and personally, I think it could have gone either way, but while I don’t think I would have removed that one, I certainly would not argue against its removal. I don’t think the moderator needs to calm down at all. A ban for that comment might’ve been rather much, but a simple removal is perfectly fine.
No one did it. It was automod looking for the existence of a word and ignoring any potential context.“<redacted> is offensive” was removed for having the word <redacted> in it. That’s asinine.
Edit: Apparently all mod activity notifications come from the automod. It’s still asinine to try policing the existence of a word.
Well, this is simply incorrect. I ran across this thread and reported several comments, bringing it to the attention of the moderators, who took action.
And you are free to have yourr opinions, but again, I suggest complying with the Lemmy.world TOS. If you think the TOS is asinine, that’s fine - as long as you comply with them.
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If you don’t like the rules, don’t use the site.
Do you also measure your neighbors’ lawns with a ruler and report them to the HOA? You seem like the type…
Do you watch police brutality and think, “THIN BLUE LINE! HUAH!!!”? Let’s discuss other stupid things. Or maybe you might stop standing up for bigotry.
“His partner’s eyes must be even more fucked than his.”
(apologies for stealing this joke from Romesh Ranganathan)
“Googly-eyed Kremlin bitch” still court-approved
That dude has definitely drunk Bailey’s from a shoe.
Don’t you do ol’ greg like that
The eyes are too aligned
There’s something subtly wrong here. Hmm…
Looks pretty accurate to me
His skin has a slight green cast to it. Could just be the lighting. Otherwise, it’s one of the better pictures I’ve seen of the asshole.
Imagine growing up knowing you wanted to be in the FBI to be part of a crack team working on real crimes and then…getting assigned a task like this?
I mean, what the fuck?
“Agent, we have a new assignment for you.”
“Yes, sir, what will it be this time? Another terrorist group trying to ship in illegal weaponry?”
“Uh, well… It’s more related to the internet.”
“Ah, I see, sir. Will this be like the time I infiltrated that human trafficking communication network?”
“No… Some people on the internet, uh, hurt Mr. Patel’s feelings…”
“No problem sir, I will take them… wait, what did you say?”
“You need to create a twi… an ‘X’ account and reply to those who say mean things to Mr. Patel.”
I imagine half the people who grow up wanting to be in the FBI would have been caught up in the propaganda/entertainment shows like 24 growing up. The run around shoot bad guys and stop nuclear bombs from being snuck into the country before they blow up (insert large city here). Unless they were really into forensics and like lab work, but there can’t be to many people out there that love science and think the FBI would be the best place to study/learn cool new things
but there can’t be to many people out there that love science and think the FBI would be the best place to study/learn cool new things
On a serious note, in the past few decades, the government has gone to great lengths to attract people like that into these agencies. In the earlier 2000’s, the government realized it had a significant lack of talent compared to the private sector when it came to technology and especially cyber security. The government has a lot of close connections with the private sector, but also worked to directly attract talent too including allowing more competitive salaries or benefits.
Years ago there were a ton of articles talking about how the FBI had wanted to do away with the federal drug testing requirements when it came to marijuana, because it prevented them from recruiting certain groups.
Unless they care about things like countering human trafficking and get into it because they legitimately want to stop evil people and save lives or rescue innocents…
Ah good point, I was thinking that fell under DHS.
“Free speech absolutists” except when their feelings get hurt…
The mods… Literally half the comments here got censored and banned
Because they were using the r-slur? That only makes sense. It’s against the community rules, is it not? The mods here never claimed to be free speech absolutists.
If you think the problem here is that people aren’t allowed to use the r-slur, you completely missed the point of the article.
The hypocrisy is the main issue. This admin cries about how people can’t say the r-slur anymore, and then they get butthurt and threaten abuses of power when it’s used against them.
Weaponizing the FBI against some jerks on the internet is a huge part of the problem too. Enforcing conduct and language standards falls on content moderation teams, not federal law enforcement. That doesn’t mean the whole internet should be the wild west. Unless you’re okay with nazis spouting hate? Because that’s what you’ll get with free speech absolutism.
So honestly I really don’t get you’re point. Should the mods not remove comments that use slurs, and ban repeat offenders?
Literally the same as the post, r slur used and no more free speech.
I suggest using the power of your free speech to walk up in person too anyone of color and using any of those words to their face and see how your “free speech” goes.
Furthermore, a little reasearch on what “free speech” means and doesn’t mean might be in order.
What I find interesting is that so many people seem to want to stand up on the side of bigotry and demand their “right” to be a bigot and use bigoted language. I’m not sure that’s really a great look.
and see how your “free speech” goes
So you are saying that black and brown people are more prone to violence? Sounds racist.
I don’t even know where to begin to try and guess where you think you get that from.
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Wrong use of ellipses.
Wrong use of pedantry…
…no…
This admin is the most thin skinned set of man-babies I’ve ever witnessed in office.
I was recently banned from some vegan comm for using the word ‘moron’. Same justification.
They told me to fix my comment.
I said no.deserved
k
Revelations in November 2025 that Mr Patel, 46, was using taxpayer-funded jets to watch performances by his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, a 27-year-old country music singer, also prompted widespread criticism.
Fails the half-his-age-plus-seven rule.
With these chuds, I’m just happy that she’s not a child.
I mean maybe not physically but mentally…
Dear FBI, Kash Patel is a douchebag. Please make sure he sees this.
Hugs and kisses.
- NotASharkInAManSuit
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Googly-eyed chud
Chud is a no no word meant to disparage underground canibals you can’t use that word!
Underground cannibals is a slur! We call them ‘people who eat people’ now.
this is good. we’re making good progress here.
One of my daughters has CP and we use the term ironically often… is retard really becoming a slur? We think it’s fine if you’re not special needs around these parts. However if you called a special needs person retarded then its basically fighting words.
HAAAAAANK
" I love consuming CP"
HAAAANK!!! It doesn’t stand for Chicken Parmesan, HAAAANNK!!!
A slur is any insulting or disparaging remark. The r-word used as a way to make fun or tear down any individual is a slur. It hasn’t even been used as a medical term for decades now. It doesn’t matter the company you keep or if the recipient of said remark is “okay” with it. It’s a slur and has been distasteful for a long time.
Technically, one of the things that makes it worse - some of the folks I used to work with still had MR as their official medical diagnosis - less than a decade ago, and since most of them were young enough to probably be still alive, they still have it.
For the record the Twitter page that article is talking about (‘I Find Retards’) is a right-wing Twitter page. Previously considered retards: trans people and those with Down Syndrome, and anyone remotely left-wing. They use ‘retard’ because they don’t care about minorities and like ‘edgy humor’. Why do you use it, then? Don’t make your hatred of fascists make you forget about your fellow disabled Dems, like me.
We’ve made a bit of progress. In the past, such a post would be immediately banned, simply for having the word in the title. As if the word itself is magical apart from context and intent.
Try reading the comments here
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why did we pick this word? Why is moron, imbecile, idiot, etc… all of those are perfectly a-okay as an insult and no one gets their panties in a bunch. Feels arbitrary.
Feels more like a empty issue to take up arms for so that people can FEEL like they’re doing something, while doing next to nothing. It’s so easy to word police, it’s hard to read up on social causes and systems of oppression. So, instead you get armchair keyboard warriors going “you can’t say that!!!” and feel like they’re making a difference… it’s a lazy cause to pacify people, artificially inflated. On the same wavelength as latinx.
It’s cheap and easy to program a bot to do word-policing.
Yep, stupid fucking mods
imagine it’s you. imagine you have to hear it all the time. imagine it’s your loved one, or nearly everyone you work with professionally, and you have to deal with it. then imagine that for decades. are you exhausted yet? it gets very old and when the traction finally kicks in and people start going ‘‘OK let’s move away from this’’ and you pop up going ‘why can’t we just KEEP being awful! It doesn’t hurt MY feelings!!! So who cares!’’
I don’t have to imagine, I heard it all the time. Among a litany of all other sorts of insults. “slow”, “dumb”, “moron”, “idiot”, “dipshit”, “special”, “widowlicker”, etc, etc, etc…
Policing ONE word isn’t do jack shit to solve the bullying problem. It’s giving lazy people an easy cause to crusade for that ultimately does nothing. Less then nothing, because once you’ve convinced yourself that “this word” is the “nono word”, you’ll let all the others slide. As long as they don’t say the “nono word” it’s okay…
And actually does more harm than any tangible good. Because the most common misuse of policing the word isn’t to protect people… it’s to purity check others. Its a diversionary wedge issue that creates artificial divisions. Instead of stopping bullies, we’re stopping eachother… “oh you called RFK Jr a nono word??? you’re a nazi too!!”
so you want people to use the slur? because people recognizing saying it is awful is bad…? it’s not a crusade, people get it’s bad and don’t want to hear it. and yeah one word isn’t the issue, as an adult, when you start getting corrected on the one word, you kind of have to be smart enough to see the actual problem and stop with all the other words as well. I don’t think it’s a coordinated attempt to destroy all decency if we allow people to be upset about a slur.
Nah it’s straight up a slur. I’m from the 90s, I remember what we actually called intellectually disabled people. It wasn’t any of those other medical terms.
and that was the only thing they were called? They weren’t called any other things, at all?
So, what is accomplished by saying “this word” is the nono word? You’re not stopping the bullying. Instead, you’ve picked some arbitrary word, policed it (instead of the issue) and get to feel like you’re making a difference (you aren’t) while the bullying continues. Except now, you don’t care… I mean, so long as they don’t say the nono word…
I care, and that was the big one. I agree language is the least important part, but online it’s the most visible sign of disrespect. It goes to creating a more welcoming culture to people with all kinds of disabilities.
Were you around back in the day? It’s actually been great seeing people getting less tolerant of ableist language, and behavior. The shit we use to say about our fellow people, just in the mainstream, it all went to such a fucked up culture of disregarding people just because they aren’t “like us.”
That’s the same as using certain racial slurs. Refraining from using them is a simple act of respect to those marginalized communities.
“Idiot” or “moron” isn’t commonly understood to be tied to a particular group on a modern context. It’s just a generic insult for a stupid person. Trying to compare that to the word of cocern in this post is comparing apples and oranges. It’s now clearly understood as an ableist word and a marginalized group is asking everyone not to use it, as it has very negative connotations for them.
Likewise, “Latinx” was never accepted amongst the Latino community, and only a tiny percentage of university students, most who weren’t even first generation, even cared about it. Using Latinx or Latine actually demonstrates cultural ignorance, as a gendered language doesn’t actually mean words are male, female, non-binary or anything in between. It’s just the rules of the language.
Using slurs against, or in the presence of marginalized people opens up all their old wounds again, wounds inflicted on them by privileged oppressors. These slurs were created with the intention of dehumanizing, insulting and punching down on certain groups, or implying inferiority of those groups when using it as an insult towards others (you’re equating a person to an “lesser” person of a marginalized group).
If you’re interested in studying systems of oppression, this should be an obvious thing to you. Oppression is perpetuated by direct physical and emotional violence, as well as systemic violence.
If words mean nothing, I suggest trying that theory out by going up to a person of colour and using a certain word to them. Or even call them “colored”, which used to be the preferred term.
So if words mean something, perhaps it’s worth the time to consider their use carefully.
yes those are exactly comparable. Definitely no difference in historical context at all… pat yourself on the back, you’re antibullying saviour!
pat yourself on the back, you’re antibullying saviour!
Do you pat yourself on the back for standing up against bigotry? I would think it’s the human thing to do.
Yea, but you’re not actually doing anything effective.
Are you helping real people, or just helping yourself? Because tone policing a word when it isn’t even being used as slur at a person, but doing it just because you want everyone to know how anti-bullying, anti-bigotry you are… sorry, that’s just self-congratulatory masturbation. And look, I get it, sometimes it feels good to wax poetic in public, I’m just saying, maybe be honest about why you’re doing it.
FTA:
"The R-Word Is a Form of Bullying
Kantar reviewed nearly 50 million social posts in the U.S. over 2 years. Over two-thirds of posts about people with intellectual disabilities were negative and nearly 29 million contained slurs (i.e., using the word “retard(ed)” or other words combined with “-tard”).
Spreading the R-word continues to hurt people with intellectual disabilities—and whether intended or not, is a form of bullying. Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against a minority group. Eliminating this word is a step toward respect for all."
it’s a lazy virtue signal so that we eat our own. Likely propagated by right-wing groups who benefit the most from the infighting. It doesn’t solve a real issue and instead is just another purity test imposed to artificially create division.
But go off, feel good about yourself, you’ve done it, you solved bullying!
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They also don’t like the word mongoloid, and prefer that you don’t say “suffers from …” and more.
People humor them, because… you know
Because that’s how language works. That word has been used to demean, mock, belittle, and cause real trauma to people. That’s why using it makes people feel bad, and as sentient, empathetic people, we choose not to use it.
yea… but so have all those other words too.
Somehow it was decided that one word would be the nono bad word… when literally all of them are used interchangably. But, you only get scolded if you say one of them. And policing its use does make any actual meaningful change. Like, if you wanted to insult a handicapped person, you can still do it using any of other words in the quiver.
How long has the Special Olympics been in charge of what words are appropriate, anyway?
Why humor them? Believe me, the word itself will outlive the Special Olympics.
FTA:
"The R-Word Is a Form of Bullying
Kantar reviewed nearly 50 million social posts in the U.S. over 2 years. Over two-thirds of posts about people with intellectual disabilities were negative and nearly 29 million contained slurs (i.e., using the word “retard(ed)” or other words combined with “-tard”).
Spreading the R-word continues to hurt people with intellectual disabilities—and whether intended or not, is a form of bullying. Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against a minority group. Eliminating this word is a step toward respect for all. "
You realize that undermines your reasoning, right? We should be bullying Kash Patel at every opportunity.
There are plenty of words that can be used to insult someone, if your intention is to bully them. You don’t need to inflict collateral damage to insult one person. The English language is very flexible. Giving up a simple word is an act of respect.
You and everyone else downvoting in this thread are using the same logic as an alt-right dweeb who gets enraged when you “steal” bigoted language from them, or ask them not to misgender someone. Which is dumb, because you’re stealing nothing. It’s saying “Hey, that word is terrible for me hear, it brings back lots of bad memories, so out of respect could please not use it?”
Damn, people want to appear to be against oppression, racism and other things yet can’t even be bothered to modify their behavior in the simplest of ways to respect other living beings. We really are all fucked.
Patel is worthy of bullying, but not in a way that causes collateral damage. Same as if people were using racial slurs. Those would get removed too.
This comparison to racial slurs is unbelievably insulting and degrading.
Racial slurs are tied to a history of oppression, slavery, assault, abuse, generational damage, and legacies of trauma… and what you’re saying is: “wahhh he called me DUMB!!1! that’s JUST like calling me a racial slur!!!111!”
You’re not protecting people with this statement. You’re cheapening what “slur” means.
You think linking to one particular source that tries to explain the problem means they’re in charge?
Well, I guess Lemmy bows to that organization considering it’s in the Lemmy TOS: https://legal.lemmy.world/tos/
You don’t have to like the rules, but you certainly have to follow them.
You don’t have to like the rules, but you certainly have to follow them.
Noncompliance is a political act.
Shhhhh the purity testing wokescolds will hear you…
Reminder that ableist slurs are against the Lemmy.World TOS. Please refrain.
NGL, my own autistic brother would call (and has called) Patel a retread.
As an insult it is less about denigrating actual handicapped folks and more about calling the subject of the insult a specific level of stupid. One that is very often less capable that most people who are disabled.
God knows my own brother who is on the spectrum could outperfom Patel, simply because he’s an honest, capable man with integrity.
would call (and has called) Patel a retread
I certainly believe Patel is unsafe under heavy loads and on wet roads.
So? Is ableism by someone on the spectrum supposed to be acceptable? Do I need to find a person who is black to give me permission to use the N word? Maybe I should find a woman to give me permission to be misogynist?
That’s not it at all. It’s about not being so high handed to assume someone with disabilities needs you to define what they will - or will not be - offended by. I as a woman give you permission to be the biggest misogynist on the planet if it gives you a chubby, knock yourself out! Then again, I can be a total raging cunt and don’t give a shit if you are.
You are not and will never be responsible for my emotions.
Perhaps you misunderstand, so let’s go back to the basics.
Lemmy.World TOS prohibits the use of, among other things, ableist slurs.
If you use such slurs, expect to face consequences.
I am a Lemmy admin, and part of what I do is enforce the TOS when I see violations.
We may choose to simply remove rule-breaking comments, or hand out temp-bans or perma-bans to those that can’t seem to follow the rules.
If you cannot follow the rules, I suppose you will eventually find out the consequences for yourself.
So ultimately, I don’t care if you agree with the TOS or not. Only whether you follow them.
When the TOS, as stated, seems ambiguous… it begets the immediate issue between you and I as being that as I have NOT used a slur… as an admin, you find my plainly stated diffidence to “white knighting” (…as if those with disabilities have no agency…) for others offensive.
And that’s okay by me.
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