Tag: yes

banozac:

I’m so conflicted about the whole issue of words like “stupid, idiot, and moron” and ableism.

I know some of those words used to be used to describe people with disabilities but they don’t feel like they’re used derogatorily in that context anymore. Like, they’re generalized insults now. Not that those terms are never thrown at disabled people, I have no doubts that they are, but that the basis of the insult is not in disability, if that makes sense? What I mean is that when the insult is directed toward an abled person, the intent is not to insinuate they have a disability.

I totally get that words like the r word are still way ableist and not okay. But I don’t put the previously mentioned words in the same category I guess.

Whenever I call someone one of those things what I am trying to communicate is one of the following: “you are inexcusably and willfully ignorant” “you base everything on assumption and do not bother with research and ignore when facts are presented to you” “you’re technically educated but you apparently didn’t care enough to actually learn anything” “you are speaking without thinking and refusing to use common sense”

It’s never about actual “intelligence”, just people who don’t use what they’ve got. People who don’t use their critical thinking skills. I suppose I could just say the above instead of calling someone an idiot, but sometimes you just want to be short and sweet. 

Maybe I’m assuming the best of people, though. Maybe people do fling insults like that with an ableist intention. 

I really don’t think it’s with an ableist intention.