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lemmy user(ule)s: "this sign won't stop me because i can't read" (lemmy.cafe)

submitted 4 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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https://www.specialolympics.org/stories/impact/why-the-r-word-is-the-r-slur

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

This is my take on it. Moron evolved to be a more general term associated with anyone acting foolish. It evolved to the point that nobody really associates it as a word targeted directly at intellectualy disabled folks. The r-word was always more commonly understood as "the word you would say to a disabled person if you wanted to hurt them the most". Because of this people who use it weren't/aren't given the benefit of the doubt that they're just being hyperbolic and not actually a bigot directly to disabled people. Why did one evolve to be more hurtful than the other? I'm not sure. There's probably a parallel universe out there where the reverse scenario exists.

Edit: nvm, disregard. just realized this post is 10d old and people already articulated what I intended much better than me.