That was simply the euphemism du jour, on the eternal euphemism treadmill.
can you really call it a euphemism when it just used to be a medical term back then?
Pro tip: It still is a medical term. Internet activists deciding they don’t like a word doesn’t actually change the word.
It’s not only the ‘SJW’ crowd who are asking people to stop using it, but also the medical field, patients, and their caregivers directly asking everyone to stop.
The results of both the parent and professional surveys support a move away from the use of the term mental retardation. The majority of parents indicated that they would be upset if a physician used the term mental retardation.
Why does everyone assume it’s “eternal” or “never ending”? Each time the euphemisms change, it’s due to more inclusivity, more empathy, and more attempts to understand the plight of others. It’s reasonable to assume that it’ll stop at a point when we reach the right terms. It probably has already, and I just can’t think of any examples off the top of my head…
Here’s my random two cents about disability euphemisms.
I personally think “special”, which was pretty popular like 10 years ago, was/is pretty demeaning. Even the more recent “differently-abled” feels weird.
I think the plain language of “disability”, which seems to have been around quite a while now, is fine. It’s what is says on the tin, without judgement.
Reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw a while ago…
“Join the one arm golfers and beat the world” (Accompanied with a depiction of an angry arm swinging a club at the ground.)
In 1882, this event would have been called Swing For Imbeciles
As I get older, I have more and more sympathy for people who can’t keep up with socially acceptable terminology. At the same time, I have less and less tolerance for people who deliberately use outdated, insulting language.
