The "R" word and Ben Stiller's New Movie

[alizesmom]

Thank you for that update Sue. I am an old lady so in real life I honestly have never heard any one use the term "retard" not have I heard "retarded" used as an insult. Sheltered life? I'm actually glad of that.

I had no idea that it was becoming fairly commonplace. The children of friends have varying degrees of mental retardation - a term which the parents use. But these are parent who are 55+. So I truly did not understand why some people recoiled at even spelling out the word when my friends use the term "mental retardation" with respect to their children that they love very, very much (as do I).

I am 55. I have no problem with the adjective "mentally retarded" or the diagnosis "mental retardation". I hate the noun "retard". Karen