A message to the morons..............

[hellosailor]

snowy Wrote:

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

>

> And Saffron, did you really use the phrase

> 'mentally retarded', are you American or Ricky

> Gervais?

Mental retardation is a clinical term Snowy, by jeering at Saffron it is you that have chosen to turn the term into an insult. Here is an interesting wiki link that talks about how terms that describe mental health conditions are subject to a process called euphemism treadmill. Saffron clearly did not mean to use the term in a derogatory way, with any malice, she was just hoping that the readership here on the forum would understand the term as a clinical one as it was originally intended, not as a playground insult as it has seemingly sadly become. Granted, it is not the most up to date / pc term, but she clearly didn't mean any offense, just as the OP did not mean any.

I think everyone on here is in agreement that the people who mocked this woman have behaved appallingly, without turning it into an in fight about who is, or isn't, being politically correct enough...

[fuzzyboots]

I would just like to add my support to Parkie. I am a Thursday/Friday walker of a little dog owned and much loved by a housebound friend. She used to go out to Peckham Rye Park on her electric scooter to walk her dogs (she had two of them at the time) but now her pain and other issues are such that she can't get to the Park any more, despite it being her dearest wish. It was the (only) highlight of her day.

I am absolutely appalled at the thought that if she were ever to make it back to the Park again, she may expect to be subject to abuse and criticism.

It IS a hate crime in my view, and if I were to witness anyone in these circumstances being subjected to harassment/abuse, etc., I would not hesitate a) to give them a piece of my mind, b) to alert Parkie and colleagues and c) to alert the police. I know that my friend's other dog walker would do the same.

This is intolerable, small minded and moronic indeed. Unbelievable that something like this should occur once, let alone be sufficient for it to be raised publicly.

GOOD FOR YOU, PARKIE, I SUPPORT YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.

Fuzzyboots (who walks Morph on Thursdays and Fridays)

[ibilly99]

sadly the morons aren't reading this forum but off playing with guns.

[Otta]

Snowy, thanks for that, interesting links.

To be fair to Saffron, I recently read a medical report by a consultant, that used the phrase "mild mental retardation". I was surprised at this, but there you go.

With regards people calling disabled people scroungers, that is down to the tories, and those who do claim the likes of DLA dishonestly(and they do exist).

[snowy]

hellosailor Wrote:

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

> snowy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> ----

> >

> > And Saffron, did you really use the phrase

> > 'mentally retarded', are you American or Ricky

> > Gervais?

>

> Mental retardation is a clinical term Snowy, by

> jeering at Saffron it is you that have chosen to

> turn the term into an insult. Here is an

> interesting wiki link that talks about how terms

> that describe mental health conditions are subject

> to a process called euphemism treadmill. Saffron

> clearly did not mean to use the term in a

> derogatory way, with any malice, she was just

> hoping that the readership here on the forum would

> understand the term as a clinical one as it was

> originally intended, not as a playground insult as

> it has seemingly sadly become. Granted, it is not

> the most up to date / pc term, but she clearly

> didn't mean any offense, just as the OP did not

> mean any.

> I think everyone on here is in agreement that the

> people who mocked this woman have behaved

> appallingly, without turning it into an in fight

> about who is, or isn't, being politically correct

> enough...

Fair point HelloSailor; it's a bit Medical Model / Social Model I suppose. So apologies to Saffron. I'd spent a day doing person centred planning interviews.

Anyway, I hope the original person who is the topic of this thread gets the support and confidence they need to enjoy the park, and her dog, and walking.

[ibilly99]

Go Harry Brown GO

http://ramascreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Harry-Brown-Poster.JPG

[louloulabelle]

Sorry, fully in support of sentiment and reason for post but should the use of the word 'moron' be acceptable as a thread title???

There are other ways to make a point.

[ibilly99]

"Moron" was coined in 1910 by psychologist Henry H. Goddard[3] from the Ancient Greek word μωρός (moros), which meant "dull"[4] (as opposed to oxy, which meant "sharp"), and used to describe a person with a mental age in adulthood of between 8 and 12 on the Binet scale.[5] It was once applied to people with an IQ of 51-70, being superior in one degree to "imbecile" (IQ of 26-50) and superior in two degrees to "idiot" (IQ of 0-25). The word moron, along with others including, "idiotic," "imbecilic," "stupid," and "feeble-minded," was formerly considered a valid descriptor in the psychological community, but it is now deprecated in use by psychologists.[6]

[ruffers]

Chapeau! for the original post - well done.

I can't believe the direction this thread has taken, I have never in my life met anyone who found the moron offensive. (Apart from possibly my Uncle Gordon, but then he just blamed Jilted John.)

Swearing can be big and clever to make a point, this wasn't even rude in my book but did the job.

Warning - very offensive words follow in this link; it's a list of words the BBC found to be offensive in 2006, via Ben Goldacre. They are the top 28 and the word moron does not appear. Once again, do not click the link if you are offended by rude words.

http://www.badscience.net/2006/03/cunt-fuck-wanker/

God help us (oops!) if someone uses the word crap (oops!)

[new mother]

They are morons and well done to the park supervisor. We need to support him if the lady comes back.

As for the rest of the comments on this thread, please get a grip and assess whether your obsession with pc behaviour is restricting your life somewhat. Someone said he/she had spent a day doing "person centred planning interviews" - without apparently seeing what a ridiculous use of language this is. Maybe it was a joke. Am I paying tax for such nonsense?

[nashoi]

New mother, if you don't know what is referred to by 'person centred planning', and I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you don't, then perhaps you should google it before expressing your ignorance.

[Jeremy]

Seems like every other thread turns into a daft debate on whether the OP is offensive or not. Some people are way too sensitive. Stop crying wolf, and reserve your energy for those who really ARE offensive and prejudiced.

[Andrew1011]

snowy Wrote:

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

> Otta Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > there has

> > recently been a marked increase in hate

> > related harassment and crime towards

> > disabled people in the last couple of years,

> >

> > Can you provide any links to articles about

> this,

> > I am interested. I've not heard anything like

> > this.

>

> http://www.disabilitynow.org.uk/the-hate-crime-dos

> sier

> http://www.disabilityhatecrime.org.uk/

>

> Along with the growing trend of defining disabled

> people as 'scroungers' etc.

>

> Not London specific, but there are national

> programmes in NI & Wales to tackle crime targeting

> disabled people:

>

> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14884754

>

> And Be Safe Stay Safe in NI.

>

> The Scope report here;

> http://www.scope.org.uk/news/paralympics-attitudes

> -survey cites

>

> 47% said people?s attitudes towards them have got

> worse over the past year (May 2011: 37%)

> 66% of disabled people say that they have

> experienced aggression, hostility or name calling

> (May 2011: 41%)

Snowy, thank you for posting a very full and good response to Otta's question and including the requested links. I'd not seen the question as I've not been online for a couple of days due to the unpredictable and debilitating effects of my own disability.

[EastDulwichRose]

I'm disgusted by such cruelty to a defenceless woman in a wheelchair!

Whats become of society when we pick on the defenceless and weak?

They should be ashamed of themselves.

[reggie]

Trouble is when we stand up for the weak and defenceless we often use language which is weak and defenceless.

[fuzzyboots]

reggie Wrote:

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> Trouble is when we stand up for the weak and

> defenceless we often use language which is weak

> and defenceless.

*LIKE*

[Captain Fredrickson]

I'd like to complain about the use of the term 'Bottom Feeder'!

[ibilly99]

[peckham parkie]

Hello everyone

The purpose of my post was to bring to your attention incidences of hate crime in our area in the hope that some of you may be able to provide information to me or the police, and also that you may have words of support for the victim. I'm glad to say this has generally been the case.

If you feel the need to criticise the language I used, can you please create a seperate thread to do so.

I would also like to add that it was neither 'kids' nor 'people who play with guns' who carried out this abuse. The perpetrators are a lot closer to home than that!

Cheers

Mark Newell

Park Liaison Officer

Peckham Rye Park

07940 743929

[email protected]

[par_avion]

Love this. We Americans use the term Developmentally Delayed. A pop within a pop within a pop...oh, how forums work.

>

> And Saffron, did you really use the phrase

> 'mentally retarded', are you American or Ricky

> Gervais?

[Loz]

snowy Wrote:

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

> 47% said people?s attitudes towards them have got worse over the past year (May 2011: 37%)

> 66% of disabled people say that they have experienced aggression, hostility or name calling

> (May 2011: 41%)

Stats like this amuse me. What do they mean? How many non-disabled people have 'experienced aggression, hostility or name calling'?

Not saying that disabled people don't have an issue, just that I hate crap stats.

[snowy]

Hmm, I had told myself not to post again on this thread as we've wandered into a broader topic - maybe it's a Drawing Room item instead... anyway, lies, damn lies and statistics etc.

All stats taken out of context can become meaningless, but did you read the Comres research findings? It clarifies that they're being targeted specifically for their disability; not because they take their children to pubs / aren't famous enough in sainsbury's, occasionally enjoy a veggie sausage, or chose Nov 6th to set off some fireworks, all of which they may or may not do.

The anonymous quotes as part of the report summary include:

?I have had people shouting abuse in the street, like ?scrounger?. I have been attacked by a group of teenagers, who attempted to kick my stick away and knock me down. This happened in a busy shopping area and no one offered to help me afterwards..?

?MS is sometimes invisible. I have had a cab driver yell at me for some time in front of my four-year-old for parking my car (in a disabled bay) legally whilst displaying my blue badge in front of the bank.?

?I have been called scrounger, parasite, and a waste of space. My personal assistant was spat at for helping me recently in a local shop.?

?I've been called names in the street and told to "stop faking and get a f***ing job" while struggling to transfer to my wheelchair from the car.?

?I can walk although it is always with great pain and difficulty. I take a wheelchair with me most places and I am treated so much differently in a wheelchair. When I do get out of the wheelchair and walk a little way, I have been accused of faking it and being lazy. Because on the outside I look healthy and "normal" people expect me to be healthy and normal.?

I'm off on holiday. I hope the person mentioned in the original post is back out enjoying the park.

[Otta]

I have to say, that for every story like the ones above, there are loads and loads of disabled people who will tell you that the public are very kind, and helpful.

[Medley]

reggie Wrote:

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

> Trouble is when we stand up for the weak and

> defenceless we often use language which is weak

> and defenceless.

That is an excellent point, excellently put.

[Andrew1011]

Snowy, thanks for the further information. Unfortunately there will always be the proportion who doubt that something is happening when it patently is, or who dress their doubt up as interest in getting more information which they can then minimise.

Have a good holiday.