Forecasting Damage Control After Obama on Leno. GAFF

Originally posted by Irish M1ck
reply to post by Diplomat

 

Not that I usually acknowledge people like you, but did you somehow combine Obama's face with Bush's? It's weird to look at.

Weird to look at?

No, to me it looks entirely proper and natural. Especially since they are both politicians of the same ilk.

reply to post by riley


Actually, when I said lambasting him was unnecessary, I was referring to Obama, not that other poster who said retard. Sorry I was not more clear on that.

I am a medical transcriptionist, and I type psychological reports among others. The doctor I type that for uses retard quite often. Many times there are IQ tests in these reports as they are often used to determine eligibility for DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities) services. They also categorize the retardation from mild to severe.

So yes, doctors do use it, and yes, it is a clinical term. However, just because I'm 30 pounds overweight does not mean that I want people to call me obese, clinical term or not.

So how many times are you going to tell me it's a legitate word..? You were defending someone who used it AS A SLUR so medical terminology is not relevent.

..and again I have NEVER heared a doctor use it nor have I seen it in any medical book printed in the last thirty years. They might use it away from patients but that does not make it acceptable or even professional. They would use the correct definitions and "retard" is not a medical definition.. retardation however can be.

Now.. please move on. You've tried to argue the same point about four times now but when it comes down to it you were defending another posters right to use the word "retard" as an insult.. not a doctors right to use it in a medical context.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by riley]

reply to post by riley


I would like you to point out where I was defending anybody. I didn't even read that other guys post, I just read yours, which is why I replied to yours, and not his.

I specifically pulled out a single quote from you, and not the entire post, because I really did not care if you were giving that guy crap for what he said, he deserved it.

I was merely pointing at that the word itself is not the issue, nor should it be, it IS a clinical term. That does not excuse him using it as a slur, but I don't see where I was defending that at all, I was just saying the word itself is not inherently bad, it is a clinical term.

The entire thing was off topic anyways, as Obama never even used the word, he said special olympics. As someone previously pointed out, there are not only mentally, but physically handicapped people in the olympics. I would be willing to bet that there are people who perform in the special olympics who would, or did, find that comment funny.

My entire point comes down to, aren't there more important things we should be worrying about than a fluff piece where a very minor insensitive thing was said? How about we start talking about the economy instead, or foreign relations? This is not and should not be news, it was minor.

It reminds me of all that Chris Brown and Rhianna crap. Why, oh why, is that on the news so often? Is that really news, or is it more of a distraction from real issues...just like this?

And before someone twists my words and starts telling me that I'm for abusing women, that is entirely false and not my point. My point is, it should be handled in the courts, and maybe a 2 minute little news blurb on it. But it had been on the news every single day for quite a while. Get on to the important stuff, if she wants to get back together with him, good for her, that is her choice. Now, can we get back to actual news?

reply to post by riley


Again, I was not defending anything but the word itself. It is not the word's fault if someone chooses to use it improperly and as a slur. The word is not inherently bad, it just became that way due to people like the one who used it as an insult. There are MANY valid reasons to use the word retard, whether you like the word or not.

Here, for your education: dictionary.reference.com...

Also, FYI, retardation is just another form of the word retard. It's like saying the word jump is ok but the word jumping doesn't exist and shouldn't be used.

Originally posted by Pimpish
reply to post by riley

 

Again, I was not defending anything but the word itself. It is not the word's fault if someone chooses to use it improperly and as a slur.

So the only reason you bothered responding at all was to give me a needless and condescending english lesson that wasted bandwidth. okay then.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by riley]

Jeez Louise, get over it and stop being distracted by this non-sense. Who cares?!? This just yet one more example of why our country is going down the crapper - everyone is "too sensitive" about having their "feelings" hurt. Harden the eff up and worry about the important things like how our country is being stolen right in front our eyes!!!

reply to post by riley


No, I replied because I had an opinion on the subject, I apologize if you don't like my opinion. I also posted quite a bit more than just the two or three sentences you seem to have read, including personal experiences. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the word retard except for when people intentionally misuse it. It reminds me of the whole George Carlin Seven Dirty Words bit.

I believe surfinguru summed up my point quite nicely.

Seems to me like a couple of hypersensitive anal retards just completely destroyed the point of this thread by going off on a tangent. I suppose that was your intention and perhaps your regular M.O. - deflection in order to suppress the truth.

My use of the word retard was a simple descriptive word without a bunch of whipping cream and cherries on top and I bet everyone who read it understood what it meant. I suggest if you don't like my point of view that you turn on your "I can't handle his truth button" and hit ignore, just in case you don't have that pathway switch in your cranium.

Just like everyone watching Leno understood that Obama was poking fun at himself by admitting he bowled like the "Special Olympics". Which is like saying "I bowled poorly - I must be retarded" or heaven forbid "I bowled like a retard". While it is in poor taste it is still funny.

I just took it one step further by breaking it down to the nuts and bolts, but like I said in my first post, Some people can't handle the truth.



[edit on 20-3-2009 by verylowfrequency]

I think this is a lot of fuss about not much, but let me play the devils advocate here.

Obama is of the mindset that thinks that the handicapped and mentally handicapped should be aborted, murdered, in their mothers wombs and never exist. Does that mean in his mind they are less than human to begin with?

Yes he was trying to be funny by demeaning himself, but then that exposes the meaning he puts behind the word in the first place.

On the topic of the word "Retard". It is now and has been for many decades a slur equivalent of the "N" word. Every bit as bad in fact because it is used to disparage people for something they were born with beyond their control. Only the equivalent of the Schoolyard Bully ever uses the word. It demeans the user and exposes their mindset.

reply to post by verylowfrequency


So making fun of the less fortunate gets your rocks off? Your embarrassing yourself. You are not impressing anyone. This has never been a site where Trolls fared well with most of the members. One could only hope you are a child and just don't know any better.

reply to post by on_yur_6


As if Palin used her child with special needs as anything but PR! She hardly spent time with the thing during her time running, and she definitely isn't paying enough attention to it now.

reply to post by Blaine91555

So making fun of the less fortunate gets your rocks off?

I've never made fun of anyone less fortunate in this thread, nor do I judge who is fortunate and who is not. How, why or when I get my rocks off is none of your business.

Your embarrassing yourself.

WEEEEEEEE

You are not impressing anyone.

I think you impressed two people. I'm not here to impress anyone Blaine.

One could only hope you are a child and just don't know any better.

That's better - so what are you saying is that children are less human or less fortunate? Perhaps you should of just called me a retard like you wanted to, but I forgot you have keep your false image intact.

I'm here to discuss my point of view on the subject - feel free to attack my point of view - that's what it's all about.

This has never been a site where Trolls fared well with most of the members.

And trolls completely ignore the subject matter in their post as you did in your last post and only attack the poster instead of his point of view of the subject.

You have made at least three thinly veiled demeaning statements specifically aimed at me and yet, you portray yourself as a defender who stands up against people who make those types of attacks. Can anyone say, hypocrite?

[edit on 20-3-2009 by verylowfrequency]

how does every racist/politically insensitve joke start?

(looks over both shoulders....)

reply to post by GuyverUnit I



Yes, "Imus moment" indeed. And what did Obama say should be done when Imus made a mess with his mouth? Why, he said Imus should quit or be fired!

I assume that since Obama is a man of complete integrity he's working on his resignation speech right now. I mean his teleprompter is working on the speech.

Originally posted by sadisticwoman
reply to post by on_yur_6

 

As if Palin used her child with special needs as anything but PR! She hardly spent time with the thing during her time running, and she definitely isn't paying enough attention to it now.

Hilarious. So if Palin keeps her kid close by, she's using him for "PR", and if he's not close by, she "isn't paying enough attention to it now". By the way, the baby is not an "it".

Palin has a special needs baby instead of aborting the baby as many do, and Obama makes fun of the Special Olympics, but somehow Palin is the "bad guy" here.

Priceless.

Liberal hypocricy and contortionist logic on full display.

[edit on 20-3-2009 by GLDNGUN]

reply to post by GLDNGUN


No- she NEVER kept her child close, but still used IT as PR.

I find Obamas remark to be unacceptable coming from the President of the United States. Disabilities are nothing to laugh at. Those athletes who participate in Special Olympics are amazing and should be applauded not be the brunt of late night jokes.

Originally posted by verylowfrequency
I watched Leno and I was quite surprised by the comment - especially coming from the President. I think this is the kind of joke that one might hear at a bar from an average American.

That's precisely my point. This is Obama trying to seem like an average guy. Trying to win over the non-PC majority. Trying to get us to pay attention to the image and ignore the reality of what he's doing.

------------------------------------------------------------

What a wonderful example of deflection this thread now represents. Obama never used the word retard, yet a page and a half of this thread was taken up discussing it. We should be discussing:

1. Why would the POTUS appear on Leno in the first place.

1b. Why would he make such a comment if not to affect an image and distract from larger public concerns?