Can we please stop using "guitard"?

[Turock]

I just read a label that said "flame retardant". I'm pissed.

 

[bolophonic]

Most people know what they want; they simply want to know where it's located.

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I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think they are taking down ALL of the signs in Target. If someone can't walk to the toy aisle and find a Barbie doll without a sign that says "girls," then I don't know what to tell you. How many signs do we need in order to avoid offending the "anti-PC" crowd?

 

[Spectrum]

I need to find something to be offended about. Any ideas? Oh wait, I just found this nifty thread! I'll just pick one out from here...

 

[10cc]

1) "guitard" implies the word "******". I don't need to explain how offensive that is. Even the term "********" is dated and offensive.

2) the guitarists I work with are talented, considerate professionals and I like them personally

3) "guitard" promotes a separateness, an otherness....an "us vs. them" vibe that just isn't good

Only you can be offended if you let it offend you. Who cares? I guess you. I myself do not use the word and never even heard of it until TB. But after a while I just pay no attention to it. It's kind of like why do folks around here find it necessary to tell someone they just added them to their ignore list. Whatever, back to who cares?

ps I would love to play with a ******** guitarist

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

I don't find it politically correct to wish that people in this society would stop using terms like ****** to define my niece who is a wonderful, caring, beautiful, thoughtful girl who happens to have downs syndrome. Using terms like guitard, even while in jest only help to propagate the use of the word ******. I'm not going to tell ignorant people to stop saying anything, and I'm far from a liberal bleeding heart, but I would hope that people would eventually come to realize that using a word like that is the equivalent of saying guifaggot or something equally worse or offensive.

Political correctness is certainly out of hand in many instances. I used to use such words until someone with a developmental disability came into my life and proved to me that negative hurtful words could never define how unique and incredible she truly is.

People can go on saying that term all they want. Far be it from me to tell someone to stop appearing ignorant.

^This is the point. Political correctness is not what this is about. No politics involved. When you say "guitard" you are saying "r e t a r d". And that is an unkind word for someone with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. But when you use the term to insult someone who does not have those disabilities it's worse. You are using it to condemn some behavior you find repulsive, unwanted or unworthy and therefore you condemn the disabled person as such.

 

[Aqualung60]

name calling is a sign of immaturity.

No it's not Doody face!

 

[JimmyM]

No. PC is what is destroying my country. And the person you describe isn't a guitard anyhow.

It ain't YOUR country. It's as much MY country as it is yours. And I think being a jerk just because you have freedom of speech is what's ruining the country.

 

[barebones]

I prefer guitar-abled.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Let's call the truly awful guitarists "gui-douche bags" or something.

Because ^that's^ less offensive?

Why call them anything? Just have fun talking bass for pity sakes.

 

[waynobass]

I have a friend with an intellectual disability and the term under discussion is incredibly hurtful to them.

How long until "intellectual disability" becomes offensive and non-PC, and a new term needs to be used so as not to "hurt" anyone?

P.S. Words can't really hurt anyone.

 

[10cc]

^This is the point. Political correctness is not what this is about. No politics involved. When you say "guitard" you are saying "r e t a r d". And that is an unkind word for someone with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. But when you use the term to insult someone who does not have those disabilities it's worse. You are using it to condemn some behavior you find repulsive, unwanted or unworthy and therefore you condemn the disabled person as such.

How do you know I find repulsive or unwanted behavior in a person that's ********? Maybe that's what you think? In that case you can't tell me how to think.

 

[Tractorr]

Only you can be offended if you let it offend you. Who cares? I guess you. I myself do not use the word and never even heard of it until TB. But after a while I just pay no attention to it. It's kind of like why do folks around here find it necessary to tell someone they just added them to their ignore list. Whatever, back to who cares?

ps I would love to play with a ******** guitarist

People who are affected by developmental disabilities care. This is what people are talking about when they talk about privilege. When you don't have to care about something that is your privilege. When something does affect you then it becomes much harder to ignore.

 

[chicago_mike]

I am not a fan of correctness. Its not about respect for someone "different", its about policing and control and conformity. Every generation will come up with words that one generation ago were fine but are now magically offensive.

Guitard is fine by me. So is guitarplegic. Do I associate it with someone who is actually handicapped? No. why? because I have a brain. If you have the problem with a word I say, it's not my problem.

Taking a stand for all neanderthals. Yes I know and sympathize with handicapped people, and guess what insults they slur out at others...Yep..that horrendous R word that up until a year ago must have been so evil and foul it killed people on site when it was spewed.

 

[megafiddle]

I'm not 100% certain, but I don't think they are taking down ALL of the signs in Target. If someone can't walk to the toy aisle and find a Barbie doll without a sign that says "girls," then I don't know what to tell you. How many signs do we need in order to avoid offending the "anti-PC" crowd?

It is just certain signs that they are removing.

Point is, the signs were there for convenience, nothing else. And everyone is free to simply ignore them.

Removing signs isn't offensive. The "anti-PC" crowd is, by definition, not easily offended.

-

 

[Tractorr]

How long until "intellectual disability" becomes offensive and non-PC, and a new term needs to be used so as not to "hurt" anyone?

P.S. Words can't really hurt anyone.

Language evolves, white people used to commonly refer to people of color as all manner of slurs. I think the world is a little bit better place now that is not the case.

 

[10cc]

So are you ********? Because I have family members that are and they could give a (and I typed this in) poopie.

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

Because ^that's^ less offensive?

Why call them anything? :huh:

This was in reference to my suggestion of using "gui-douche bag". No, only slightly less offensive. Exactly. Why call them anything? But really, it's not even about offensiveness. I offend people all the time. Nothing is sacred. I think it's ok to make fun of most anything. Mostly. But maybe not someone's mom the day after she died. And maybe not people with intellectual disabilities.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Words can't really hurt anyone.

Dead wrong. Language is the ultimate tool for degrading and dehumanizing human beings.

 

[10cc]

It is just certain signs that they are removing.

Point is, the signs were there for convenience, nothing else. And everyone is free to simply ignore them.

Removing signs isn't offensive. The "anti-PC" crowd is, by definition, not easily offended.

-

I'm not offended. When my PC is challenged I just brush it off with a very simple F.U. Too much life is wasted feeling offended.

 

[10cc]

I'm not offended. When my PC is challenged I just brush it off with a very simple F.U. Too much life is wasted feeling offended.

And this case why did I waste the energy to respond? Oh no! I'm against myself