Phonetic (Standard) IPA noun the act of retarding or state of being retarded. something that retards; hindrance. Usually Offensive. slowness or limitation in intellectual understanding and awareness, emotional development, academic progress, etc. intellectual disability ( def ), mental retardation ( def ). Music. a form of suspension that is resolved upward.
Ok. Last part of that definition is the usually offensive part. This word has been around since the 1400s. But we are sooo enlightened now these days that we can't use certain words in our vernacular. I get it. My girlfriend had multiple strokes and heart attacks. If someone called her a retard to my face I would knock them the **** out. I have a neighbor with Down Syndrome. Would I straight out call him a retard? Hell no. That would go to the derogatory meaning of that word and it would be inappropriate and just plain nasty. As an overall descriptor in the way Pat used it, in my opinion it was used as an act there of.
Eliminating words that we can't use anymore is right out of the leftists playbook. It places people in a box and stifles debate. That is what they want. No debate. They now have the moral highground. Then it will establish group think. Then the cancel culture kicks in. So you see where I'm going with this. I refuse to play that game. And I don't like to see my fellow conservative minded compatriots playing it either. We all know what Pat meant.
Now on the other side.
Those people down on the convention floor are into the moment and the situation. They were trying to show solidarity with Trump almost being assassinated. I would agree that when I seen some of those people down on the floor wearing gauze on their ears, that it was pretty dumb. But it's on the floor of a political convention and they wear and do dumb things at times anyway. That is as far as I would read into it. Not that it was soooo insensitive that someone died, and how could they do that. That was not the intention. It was a tragic situation but Trump lived through that. Could have easily went the other way. And people are grateful that he made it against all odds. So the other side saying they are making light of someone dying just doesn't connect.
Social media has corrupted people's brains worse than ever. Pick a side. Pearl clutching and whataboutism is a weak technique designed to shut off debate. The left is the best at it but I hate to see conservatives doing it as well. Get out off the pack way of thinking.
Politics + social media and the 24 hour news cylcle has clouded people's critical thinking.
And Tropic Thunder was a hilarious movie!
[This message has been edited by Jason88Notchie (edited 07-21-2024).]
No Jason. Just the usual/same vitriolic hatred that so many complained about when politics abounded in OT. Just because there is now a specific "zebra pen" doesn't mean they haven't any stripes.
[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 07-21-2024).]
No Jason. Just the usual/same vitriolic hatred that so many complained about when politics abounded in OT.
Yes. I know. It was probably a good thing that Cliff separated the two. Although the traffic was so high in OT that there may be more people respond who may otherwise wouldn't. I like to see good debate in the issues. Another tactic of the left is using name calling when their arguments are weak or fall apart. I actually find it kinda entertaining to see play out.
This used to be a place where friends shared information and ideas. There were times that this was the first place I heard about breaking news. When something big happened, someone posted it here within minutes.
Some have tried to turn it into a team sport where "my side" has to win at all cost. I want the facts, not "clever" tactics learned in a middle school debate squad.
It used to be fun. We could post a joke, a song, a silly observation. Now, someone will look for a way to shoot down anything that is posted by what they perceive as the "other team".
Yeah, the ear patches are silly, but I like silly. And they are harmless. I was not impressed by Hulk Hogan or Kid Rock at the Convention, but that is just because I am a card carrying Grumpy Old Geezer. But you know what? I still woke up the next morning, poured a cup of coffee and put on some 90 year old jazz.
All was right with the world.
Here are a couple of examples of how it is exceedingly difficult to have a discussion, when some see everything as an opportunity to start a fight. It is just not worth it.
Some have tried to turn it into a team sport where "my side" has to win at all cost. I want the facts, not "clever" tactics learned in a middle school debate squad.
It used to be fun. We could post a joke, a song, a silly observation. Now, someone will look for a way to shoot down anything that is posted by what they perceive as the "other team".
I understand. We all feel more comfortable when everyone is on the same "side" or "team". But this site is about cars, not politics. So there are going to be people from both sides.
But there are plenty of other places where you can post whatever you want and everyone will agree with you. Perhaps you should look for one of those places.
Jason, I don't quite fully understand what you're stating, so I didn't wish to respond publicly in case I may or may not have misinterpreted your comment.
I started the thread because I was (and still am) totally repulsed by grown adults wearing "bandages" on their ears to show support for Donald Trump after an innocent bystander at a Trump rally had his brains blown out all over the bleachers. The pictures of these people laughing and joking with various white objects stuck to their ears after such a horrendous event makes me wonder about their mental acuity. And these are the people who are responsible for the selection of an American political party's Presidential candidate??!!! Unbelievable.
I appreciate that Jason took the time and effort to respond. I don't mind at all that he chose to respond here as opposed to responding in a PM.
There have been plenty of responses in this thread since Jason's second post. I'm not going to go through the process of quoting each one and responding individually. Instead, I'll just state how I feel about this thread and how/why I approached it the way I did. Some of what I feel has already been mentioned in my quote immediately above.
I've always felt that political "discussion" here at PFF is a complete waste of time. Whether it was in O/T in times past, or in P&R currently, it's just an excuse for some of the participants to be nasty to each other. Nothing posted here will make the tiniest bit of difference in the political landscape of any country. I'm just so glad that Cliff Pennock created this pigpen (P&R) for political posts so that other areas of the forum don't need to be polluted. Prior to P&R, when political "discussion" took place in O/T, certain members here just couldn't resist turning any thread in O/T into their political soapbox. So thank-you, Cliff!
In regards to my choice of words for the heading of this thread, I won't deny that I chose certain words for their shock value. "Mental retardation" was a totally acceptable term not all that long ago (and possibly still is in some circles)... and yes, "retard" has also been used as a derogatory term. Most any word can be used in a derogatory manner. Look at the post a couple above this one. "Boy" is being used in a derogatory manner. Does that mean that each and every "boy" (and their families) should be outraged if/when the word "boy" is being used in a derogatory manner? Hardly.
So if I wish to use the word "retard" in a derogatory manner in this section of the forum towards some third party whom I believe is behaving at a below-normal intelligence level (ie Trump supporters attaching bandages to their ears), then I'll do it. I've not called any member of PFF a "retard", nor have I referred to anyone with Down's Syndrome or anyone who has suffered from a stroke as a "retard".
It's been stated that this "used to be a place where friends shared information and ideas". It still is, for those who are capable of leaving their political baggage at the door. I might also mention that the good old days weren't always so good for everyone. How many years did rinselberg (and others) bear the brunt of insults and ridicule tossed their way on a daily basis? Seems to me I recall the term "leftist" (and worse) being used a few times. Sure, there's nothing inherently wrong with the word "leftist"... unless it's being used in a derogatory manner towards anyone who isn't ultra right-wing. But then, it's only the left that resorts to name-calling (so it's been said), so I guess I've got it all wrong.
In closing, a PM I sent to another forum member six days ago...
quote
I'm grateful that Trump wasn't killed. It could've sparked a civil war down there. However, that doesn't mean I respect him at all. I fear that he's now a shoe-in for the US Presidency. You should've taken me up on that bet I offered you and the rest of the forum a couple of years ago! At the time, I would've never have believed that old man Biden would want to run again, and of course, I had no idea that the photo op of a lifetime would drop into Trump's lap. Whatever transpires, I just hope that saner heads prevail.
