The Nehor wrote:Another friend in an office job I had had a stuttering problem. He had the hardest time talking. One day while he was struggling I told him to just sing what he was saying. He stared at me for a moment and then we both broke out laughing. Once the problem was acknowledged and factored in it was diminished.
I've spent my whole life trying to control it - and it mainly is - but even now I have to pause before I say some things, so as to avoid stuttering. It's especially embarrassing when you have to pause before saying your own name! You end up having a choice between stuttering like crazy, or looking like you can't even remember it...! Neither being particularly attractive :D
I know what you mean about the humour thing though Nehor. How about this one...
"A least most peeps in the special olympics don't believe in angels that carry off Gold Plates into heaven. They may have one up on you eh...!"
..is that the kind of thing you mean?
I like that one. I seriously started laughing when I read it.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
The Nehor wrote:Another friend in an office job I had had a stuttering problem. He had the hardest time talking. One day while he was struggling I told him to just sing what he was saying. He stared at me for a moment and then we both broke out laughing. Once the problem was acknowledged and factored in it was diminished.
I've spent my whole life trying to control it - and it mainly is - but even now I have to pause before I say some things, so as to avoid stuttering. It's especially embarrassing when you have to pause before saying your own name! You end up having a choice between stuttering like crazy, or looking like you can't even remember it...! Neither being particularly attractive :D
I know what you mean about the humour thing though Nehor. How about this one...
"A least most peeps in the special olympics don't believe in angels that carry off Gold Plates into heaven. They may have one up on you eh...!"
..is that the kind of thing you mean?
Ren, you have never stuttered on skype! You're so smooth on there!
The Nehor wrote: I do agree with Monkeys here. If my intent was to take the word and use it against someone in a deliberate attempt to wound them I would be a jerk.
So it's better to not use emotionally charged words when you attempt to hurt them?
I find that if you seriously want to hurt someone the best tool is a baseball bat.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
beastie wrote:Is this really so hard to understand?
While it's probably certain that no one posting here is mentally handicapped, it is also certain that posters here have friends, family members, or students who are, and we live with seeing those people stared at, whispered about, and ostracized. So to see people use the term as some sort of joke does hurt. It reminds us of how thoughtless and cruel the world can be to those whose only "sin" is being different.
So yes, you are hurting people. Stop pretending you're not.
This isn't the first time this issue has arisen, and it never ceases to amaze - and dismay - me that some posters just can't resist using it (and some use it frequently). Personally, I wish posts that contained these sort of jokes would be relegated to the telestial kingdom.
It never ceases to amaze me how open to offense some folks are.
It's not hard to understand the behavior, beastie, but that doesn't make it immune to criticism.
I think I understand why many Mormons believe in the church. Just because I understand it doesn't make me criticize them less.
Some people are hurt by your criticisms of the church. How can you be so thoughtless and cruel? These people can't help but be Mormon. They were born that way. Should we move all your posts to a lower kingdom too?
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
All human beings have disabilities. Yet I poke fun at many of them. Wow, my crimes just keep adding up.
Again I find it odd that you do not seem to see how finding humor by making fun of the disabled is less than a holy attribute.
Justify away...
Truthfully the inability to talk about mental problems HURTS the mentally handicapped. While working at the Group Home I mentioned before I noticed one boy was withdrawing. When I talked to him (I was kind of an older brother figure) he was upset that others seemed different than him and he couldn't figure out why. I explained it. Once he understood he was happy. We have a wonderful habit in the US of thinking that pretending someone doesn't have a problem is a good way of dealing with it. I also have a friend in a wheelchair. She's a master of jokes about stairs and she sincerely laughs at them. The one way to tick her off is when people pretend she is the same despite the chair. She is not. In their efforts to pretend they alienate her. Another friend in an office job I had had a stuttering problem. He had the hardest time talking. One day while he was struggling I told him to just sing what he was saying. He stared at me for a moment and then we both broke out laughing. Once the problem was acknowledged and factored in it was diminished.
Your cruel comment has absolutely NOTHING whatsoever to do with discussing what it means to have disabilities.
It is about YOUR cruel nature that thinks it is somehow funny to make fun of those with mental disabilities.
Sorry but there is NO excuse you could come up with that makes it OK to make fun of those who are in need of compassion and love.
Maybe you could try looking into your heart and see if God thinks it is funny to make fun of those who he loves and whose lives are already filled with some serious difficulties.
Oh wait... I bet God will tell you how he too enjoys your cruel humor... yep that will probably be your next excuse! (sigh)
~dancer~
"The search for reality is the most dangerous of all undertakings for it destroys the world in which you live." Nisargadatta Maharaj
barrelomonkeys wrote:Why can't people merely apologize? Really? Why is that so difficult?
I apologize for saying that you, me, and all other Internet arguers are retarded. We're just morons. I hope we can put this behind us.
I often behave foolishly. I suppose we all do. Perhaps taking offense where none is either intended is one such way, as is perhaps not being aware of the issues to which others are sensitive.
I wasn't trying to jump on ya. Just trying to help. I wouldn't mind seeing Belial again from time to time though, just so long as the posession isn't permanent.
By the way, I think the reason that Rowan Atkinson clip is funny is because he was parodying a closed-minded bigot who pretends who sees himself as open-minded and loving. My opinion is that the good of calling attention to such things in humor is a justifiable reason to use the words. There speaking of color and race didn't denigrate various races so much as the racists who think that way.
Just more of my $.02
By the way, a fools voice is known through a multitude of words. At least there's no ambiguity about myself.
That's General Leo. He could be my friend if he weren't my enemy. eritis sicut dii I support NCMO
barrelomonkeys wrote: It just saddens me that a stereotype is perpetrated that these gentle, compassionate humans are somehow relegated to a slur that can be used to inflict damage on others.
That's the crux of the problem. You call it a stereotype, let it sadden you, and consider it damaging.
If you called me retarded, I could choose to think to myself, "That's right. I'm special."
God belief is for people who don't want to live life on the universe's terms.
All human beings have disabilities. Yet I poke fun at many of them. Wow, my crimes just keep adding up.
Again I find it odd that you do not seem to see how finding humor by making fun of the disabled is less than a holy attribute.
Justify away...
Truthfully the inability to talk about mental problems HURTS the mentally handicapped. While working at the Group Home I mentioned before I noticed one boy was withdrawing. When I talked to him (I was kind of an older brother figure) he was upset that others seemed different than him and he couldn't figure out why. I explained it. Once he understood he was happy. We have a wonderful habit in the US of thinking that pretending someone doesn't have a problem is a good way of dealing with it. I also have a friend in a wheelchair. She's a master of jokes about stairs and she sincerely laughs at them. The one way to tick her off is when people pretend she is the same despite the chair. She is not. In their efforts to pretend they alienate her. Another friend in an office job I had had a stuttering problem. He had the hardest time talking. One day while he was struggling I told him to just sing what he was saying. He stared at me for a moment and then we both broke out laughing. Once the problem was acknowledged and factored in it was diminished.
Your cruel comment has absolutely NOTHING whatsoever to do with discussing what it means to have disabilities.
It is about YOUR cruel nature that thinks it is somehow funny to make fun of those with mental disabilities.
Sorry but there is NO excuse you could come up with that makes it OK to make fun of those who are in need of compassion and love.
Maybe you could try looking into your heart and see if God thinks it is funny to make fun of those who he loves and whose lives are already filled with some serious difficulties.
Oh wait... I bet God will tell you how he too enjoys your cruel humor... yep that will probably be your next excuse! (sigh)
~dancer~
No, I don't have the habit of running my jokes by God for approval. I thought we established that I was NOT making fun of them. I was making fun of US. Can't you be offended about that? I mocked you and me and everyone here. Or does it just sound more pious to be offended on behalf of people who aren't here? Nah.
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
barrelomonkeys wrote: It just saddens me that a stereotype is perpetrated that these gentle, compassionate humans are somehow relegated to a slur that can be used to inflict damage on others.
That's the crux of the problem. You call it a stereotype, let it sadden you, and consider it damaging.
If you called me retarded, I could choose to think to myself, "That's right. I'm special."
Blame poor impulse control and boredom on why I'm replying to you. :)
If someone called me retarded I wouldn't care. I wouldn't cringe, I would merely wonder about that person. Quite a bit. I would probably assume that they don't know any better or were intentionally trying to offend.
This word is not some nebulous word with no clear meaning - this word defines a unique subset of our population. In other words these people are an insult to others. If 'retarded' is an insult that means these people themselves are something that is horrid to be!
barrelomonkeys wrote: It just saddens me that a stereotype is perpetrated that these gentle, compassionate humans are somehow relegated to a slur that can be used to inflict damage on others.
That's the crux of the problem. You call it a stereotype, let it sadden you, and consider it damaging.
If you called me retarded, I could choose to think to myself, "That's right. I'm special."
I thought you were Homer, not Ralph Wiggum. :)
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo