First Rahm Emanuel called a plan he didn't like 'fucking retarded.' Then Sarah Palin called for his resignation. Then he apologized and made nice. Now a Department of Justice job advertisement welcomes applicants with 'mental retardation'.
The posting, flagged up by Jack Shafer on Twitter, seeks attorneys in DC and has this equal opportunities section.
So is it a bad word, or is it kind of OK? The best informed thinking we've found on the issue is this truly fantastic article about why Huey Lewis is huge in the retard community (and why it's fine to say 'retard').
Just like the N word is owned by the African American community, the R word is owned by people with special needs. Huey Lewis doesn't speak for the special needs world. Sure, you can use the word, it's your right. Just wondering why anyone would use that word knowing the pain it causes.
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