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5:14pm July 11, 2014
alliecat-person replied to your post:Discussing/calling out ableist language trivializes the movement? In much the same way that calling out misogynistic slurs trivializes feminism/womanism, I guess? Or telling people not to use “gay” to mean “uncool” or the t-slur trivializes the QUILTBAG movement? Because it’s not like language frames how we think and talk about things, or helps create a culture where violence against a group is then more acceptable, or anything like that.
Oy.

Yeah.  Oy.

I love how they assume I don’t object to actual slurs, too.  That was my first clue that there was no point even trying to communicate with them.  Like… if you use the words retard or vegetable around me, you’d better damn well be glad I’ve learned enough self-control not to punch you in the face.  But that’s not the issue, when we come up with lists of every word that could ever possibly be linked back to disability, and call it a “slur”, which, in the process, seriously devalues the meaning of what a slur is.

The analogy I always draw is to rudeness.  Most words for rude, including rude itself, have classist connotations.  And you can use that to make some interesting observations about the development of language, as well as the idea of politeness and its link to class.  But if you call rude a classist slur, you’ve long since crossed a line that really badly needed not crossing.

But again, when someone enters a discussion in the way these people entered the discussion, they’re not looking for a discussion, they’re spoiling for a fight.  And I’ve got too much going on in my life right now to fight random askbox people.

Notes:
  1. theredkite reblogged this from withasmoothroundstone
  2. 9898765754323324342344354 reblogged this from mttheww
  3. fierceawakening reblogged this from withasmoothroundstone and added:
    So well said. I do think paying attention to the words we use can be important. And I do think there are some words that...
  4. mttheww reblogged this from withasmoothroundstone
  5. callmemonstrous said: You are amazing at dealing with people in ways that are graceful and specific and certain.
  6. alliecat-person said: The definition of a slur has been so diluted.
  7. withasmoothroundstone posted this