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It communicates “you aren’t disabled, you have no excuse for acting like it, start choosing to use the fully functional brain you have”.

look, if this doesn't make you see how it's a shitty thing to say, i don't think anyone else can help you understand.

nobody is going to arrest you for using the word, and many people will celebrate you using it. The problem is those people are mostly assholes. The word you should be thinking about is "audience".

Using a slur to insult someone, regardless of if they are a member of that group, shows that you view it as an inherently negative trait, and that people should be ashamed of being a part of, or associated with, the group.

Look I usually only lurk because im too anxious but I have to say something.

Your logic is the exact logic my neo nazi family use. (not an exaggeration, I grew up around the klan)

"If they act like an N word, why cant I call them an N word, its not like im racist, i call stupid/criminal/bad whites N words too."

So i think anyone who uses this logic to justify a slurs usage should take a moment for self reflection.

(This is coming from someone who is queer and will use queer slurs only in certain company, in private, where everyone involved is aware and into it. (and even then I get uncomfy, especially when im in a new group and I don't know people and they start throwing words around.))

(Also to add I was one of those "slow" kids who has alot of history with the cruel things my family and others called me.

words do area-of-effect damage, friend.

if you use the r-slur around me, even if its not directed at me, it hurts, and it makes me feel less safe with you, because of the way that word has been used to specifically target me for hatred based on my neurotype. plus there's the fact that you acknowledge it to be a mean word for disabled people, and if you're using it as a weapon against non-disabled people, you're really saying 'haha, you're like those disabled people, and that's terrible.' i hope you can see how this probably doesn't feel so good to a lot of us?

I agree completely with this. This campaign to make this word just as bad as the "n word" is absolutely ridiculous. I've brought this up with a lot of people, and I've yet to meet someone in real life who genuinely thinks this word should be censored in this manner.

Edit: This needs more context... please refer to my expansive explanation here: https://sh.itjust.works/comment/12210243

what annoys me is that no one cared about this until Sarah Palin made a big deal out of someone calling her that and she pretended to get offended for her baby with down syndrome as if it was targeted on them.

but I'm also ok with never saying it again. not a big loss who cares. at least we got a legendary Linus clip out of it.