this post was submitted on 16 Aug 2026
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Leopards Ate My Face
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I humbly request that you consider eliminating the "R" word from your vocabulary.
Folks here and here make the case better than I could.
I'm sure no harm was intended, but harm is still caused by that word. The folks to whom it applies are well aware of it and know it's about them, whether you mean it to be or not.
My wife used to teach at an adult day school for adults with developmental and cognitive disabilities. She taught, among other things, Shakespeare. When I say that her students learned the material, I mean they'd sit around and discuss it. They knew it better than I did (although in fairness, I've never been much into Shakespeare).
It's just a word that feels like it doesn't harm, but it does. I used to use it years ago until someone pointed this out to me, and now I hope that I can help end the usage of it.
If you read this far, I thank you for doing that, no matter which option you choose. <3
How would you rewrite that part of the sentence that used the "R" word? It seems like "idiot" and "stupid" (edit: "moron") are also terms with historical baggage, and likely fall into the same category of being a slur. Or is it just because the "R" word is still in use by the medical field? I suppose "dumbass" is the first word that comes to mind without historical (or current?) baggage, and I'm personally fine to use that term to replace all the others above. But the links you provided don't really give guidance on how to express the above in a "safe" alternative way (note the original was an internal thought); I guess I'm here proposing that everyone just use "dumbass" (shout out to "Red").
Edit: I guess "dumb" also has its problems; perhaps even "fool"?
There are so many fun words to use!
You can also make new ones.
Like their father being a hamster, and their mother smelling of elderberries.
Ahah, a person of culture!
The british. One creativ people. Not like these in dung swimming fish MAGidiots
Historic baggage maybe, but certainly not current baggage. The "R" word has current baggage.
And that's the difference.
Yes, language changes, and we adjust - "colored" used to be the preferred word when discussing black people.
Speaking of discussing African Americans, do you think the NAACP should change its name?
As a cis white male, I have absolutely zero say in that.
I will say that there are previous clients of mine who still have the official medical diagnosis of "MR", i.e. "Mental Retardation". That is no longer the preferred medical diagnosis.
Neither of those things have much to do with people calling people the "R" word or calling black people "coloreds" or the like.