Hey mods, I didn't direct the r-word at anyone, specifically mentioned that it's offensive, and suggested the alternative and legally defensible term googly-eyed chud. I think the automod needs to calm down a bit.
That post seems to be missing.
ieh -13 points a month ago
I wasn't the one who did it, and personally, I think it could have gone either way, but while I don't think I would have removed that one, I certainly would not argue against its removal. I don't think the moderator needs to calm down at all. A ban for that comment might've been rather much, but a simple removal is perfectly fine.
AbidanYre 10 points a month ago
No one did it. It was automod looking for the existence of a word and ignoring any potential context.
"<redacted> is offensive" was removed for having the word <redacted> in it. That's asinine.
Edit: Apparently all mod activity notifications come from the automod. It's still asinine to try policing the existence of a word.
BillyClark 10 points a month ago
"His partner's eyes must be even more fucked than his."
(apologies for stealing this joke from Romesh Ranganathan)
homesweethomeMrL 89 points a month ago
“Googly-eyed Kremlin bitch” still court-approved
prettybunnys 12 points a month ago
Don’t you do ol’ greg like that
kmartburrito 2 points a month ago
cheat700000007 6 points a month ago
The eyes are too aligned
TheShamMirrors 3 points a month ago path: 0 25797432 25799372 25808052 25814021, hotness: undefined, score: 3, children: 0
DarrinBrunner 3 points a month ago
His skin has a slight green cast to it. Could just be the lighting. Otherwise, it's one of the better pictures I've seen of the asshole.
CharlesDarwin 76 points a month ago
Imagine growing up knowing you wanted to be in the FBI to be part of a crack team working on real crimes and then....getting assigned a task like this?
I mean, what the fuck?
Smug_Marmot 12 points a month ago
"Agent, we have a new assignment for you."
"Yes, sir, what will it be this time? Another terrorist group trying to ship in illegal weaponry?"
"Uh, well... It's more related to the internet."
"Ah, I see, sir. Will this be like the time I infiltrated that human trafficking communication network?"
"No... Some people on the internet, uh, hurt Mr. Patel's feelings..."
"No problem sir, I will take them... wait, what did you say?"
"You need to create a twi... an 'X' account and reply to those who say mean things to Mr. Patel."
LifeInMultipleChoice 6 points a month ago
I imagine half the people who grow up wanting to be in the FBI would have been caught up in the propaganda/entertainment shows like 24 growing up. The run around shoot bad guys and stop nuclear bombs from being snuck into the country before they blow up (insert large city here). Unless they were really into forensics and like lab work, but there can't be to many people out there that love science and think the FBI would be the best place to study/learn cool new things
Smug_Marmot 3 points a month ago
but there can’t be to many people out there that love science and think the FBI would be the best place to study/learn cool new things
On a serious note, in the past few decades, the government has gone to great lengths to attract people like that into these agencies. In the earlier 2000's, the government realized it had a significant lack of talent compared to the private sector when it came to technology and especially cyber security. The government has a lot of close connections with the private sector, but also worked to directly attract talent too including allowing more competitive salaries or benefits.
Years ago there were a ton of articles talking about how the FBI had wanted to do away with the federal drug testing requirements when it came to marijuana, because it prevented them from recruiting certain groups.
wonderingwanderer 2 points a month ago
Unless they care about things like countering human trafficking and get into it because they legitimately want to stop evil people and save lives or rescue innocents...
LifeInMultipleChoice 2 points a month ago
Ah good point, I was thinking that fell under DHS.
AcidiclyBasicGlitch 1 point a month ago
chewypoops 43 points a month ago
Mods, this isn't the hill to die on and you know it.
dbtng 6 points a month ago
Man, I agree with you, but these are the rules:
"All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed."
How you execute a consistent set of policies when the rules say you don't have to be consistent is beyond me.
foodandart 9 points a month ago
LOL! I think it's one of those "read the room first" situations.
I've always said Kash Patel deserves 100% of the shit the GOP spews thrown right back in his "special needs" face.. but that IS a slur against the actual people that are disabled, since Patel isn't really needing of any special treatment or help.. beyond the karmic swift one in the pants he so deserves.
Which should be given with extreme wit, vigor and prejudice.
DillDough 3 points a month ago
Consider the actual definition of the word not just how it makes you feel...it applies to both Patel personally and his role in the current administration, he is actively retarding our entire law enforcement system as well as the investigation against the single largest, most vile, and most influential criminal organization to ever exist. It can be a slur but it's not inherently a slur.
resipsaloquitur 40 points a month ago
Revelations in November 2025 that Mr Patel, 46, was using taxpayer-funded jets to watch performances by his girlfriend, Alexis Wilkins, a 27-year-old country music singer, also prompted widespread criticism.
Fails the half-his-age-plus-seven rule.
TheLowestStone 19 points a month ago
With these chuds, I'm just happy that she's not a child.
TootTootComingThru 1 point a month ago
I mean maybe not physically but mentally...
Onyxonblack 9 points a month ago path: 0 25797149 25798245, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 43
jordanlund -10 points a month ago
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SailorFuzz 25 points a month ago
why did we pick this word? Why is moron, imbecile, idiot, etc.. all of those are perfectly a-okay as an insult and no one gets their panties in a bunch. Feels arbitrary.
Feels more like a empty issue to take up arms for so that people can FEEL like they're doing something, while doing next to nothing. It's so easy to word police, it's hard to read up on social causes and systems of oppression. So, instead you get armchair keyboard warriors going "you can't say that!!!!!" and feel like they're making a difference... it's a lazy cause to pacify people, artificially inflated. On the same wavelength as latinx.
Onyxonblack 15 points a month ago
Yep, stupid fucking mods
phutatorius 2 points 25 days ago
It's cheap and easy to program a bot to do word-policing.
Snowclone 1 point a month ago
imagine it's you. imagine you have to hear it all the time. imagine it's your loved one, or nearly everyone you work with professionally, and you have to deal with it. then imagine that for decades. are you exhausted yet? it gets very old and when the traction finally kicks in and people start going ''OK let's move away from this'' and you pop up going 'why can't we just KEEP being awful! It doesn't hurt MY feelings!!! So who cares!''
hoppeduponcoffee -2 points a month ago
That’s the same as using certain racial slurs. Refraining from using them is a simple act of respect to those marginalized communities.
“Idiot” or “moron” isn’t commonly understood to be tied to a particular group on a modern context. It’s just a generic insult for a stupid person. Trying to compare that to the word of cocern in this post is comparing apples and oranges. It’s now clearly understood as an ableist word and a marginalized group is asking everyone not to use it, as it has very negative connotations for them.
Likewise, “Latinx” was never accepted amongst the Latino community, and only a tiny percentage of university students, most who weren’t even first generation, even cared about it. Using Latinx or Latine actually demonstrates cultural ignorance, as a gendered language doesn’t actually mean words are male, female, non-binary or anything in between. It’s just the rules of the language.
Using slurs against, or in the presence of marginalized people opens up all their old wounds again, wounds inflicted on them by privileged oppressors. These slurs were created with the intention of dehumanizing, insulting and punching down on certain groups, or implying inferiority of those groups when using it as an insult towards others (you’re equating a person to an “lesser” person of a marginalized group).
If you’re interested in studying systems of oppression, this should be an obvious thing to you. Oppression is perpetuated by direct physical and emotional violence, as well as systemic violence.
Mulligrubs -2 points a month ago
They also don't like the word mongoloid, and prefer that you don't say "suffers from ...." and more.
People humor them, because.... you know
chunkystyles -3 points a month ago
Because that's how language works. That word has been used to demean, mock, belittle, and cause real trauma to people. That's why using it makes people feel bad, and as sentient, empathetic people, we choose not to use it.
jordanlund -7 points a month ago
FTA:
"The R-Word Is a Form of Bullying
Kantar reviewed nearly 50 million social posts in the U.S. over 2 years. Over two-thirds of posts about people with intellectual disabilities were negative and nearly 29 million contained slurs (i.e., using the word “retard(ed)” or other words combined with “-tard”).
Spreading the R-word continues to hurt people with intellectual disabilities—and whether intended or not, is a form of bullying. Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against a minority group. Eliminating this word is a step toward respect for all."
ieh -11 points a month ago
If words mean nothing, I suggest trying that theory out by going up to a person of colour and using a certain word to them. Or even call them "colored", which used to be the preferred term.
So if words mean something, perhaps it's worth the time to consider their use carefully.
Mulligrubs 11 points a month ago
How long has the Special Olympics been in charge of what words are appropriate, anyway?
Why humor them? Believe me, the word itself will outlive the Special Olympics.
ieh -2 points a month ago
You think linking to one particular source that tries to explain the problem means they're in charge?
Well, I guess Lemmy bows to that organization considering it's in the Lemmy TOS: https://legal.lemmy.world/tos/
You don't have to like the rules, but you certainly have to follow them.
jordanlund -7 points a month ago
FTA:
"The R-Word Is a Form of Bullying
Kantar reviewed nearly 50 million social posts in the U.S. over 2 years. Over two-thirds of posts about people with intellectual disabilities were negative and nearly 29 million contained slurs (i.e., using the word “retard(ed)” or other words combined with “-tard”).
Spreading the R-word continues to hurt people with intellectual disabilities—and whether intended or not, is a form of bullying. Using the R-word is the same as using any slur against a minority group. Eliminating this word is a step toward respect for all. "
SailorFuzz 5 points a month ago
Shhhhh the purity testing wokescolds will hear you.....
foodandart 4 points a month ago
NGL, my own autistic brother would call (and has called) Patel a retread.
As an insult it is less about denigrating actual handicapped folks and more about calling the subject of the insult a specific level of stupid. One that is very often less capable that most people who are disabled.
God knows my own brother who is on the spectrum could outperfom Patel, simply because he's an honest, capable man with integrity.
ieh 1 point a month ago
So? Is ableism by someone on the spectrum supposed to be acceptable? Do I need to find a person who is black to give me permission to use the N word? Maybe I should find a woman to give me permission to be misogynist?
foodandart 2 points a month ago
That's not it at all. It's about not being so high handed to assume someone with disabilities needs you to define what they will - or will not be - offended by. I as a woman give you permission to be the biggest misogynist on the planet if it gives you a chubby, knock yourself out! Then again, I can be a total raging cunt and don't give a shit if you are.
You are not and will never be responsible for my emotions.
phutatorius -1 points 25 days ago
would call (and has called) Patel a retread
I certainly believe Patel is unsafe under heavy loads and on wet roads.
foodandart 1 point 24 days ago
LOL! Did you see the video of him in front of Sen John Kennedy and doubling down on the whole bestiality thing?
Comic gold.
wonderingwanderer 20 points a month ago
"Free speech absolutists" except when their feelings get hurt...
wonderingwanderer 1 point a month ago
Because they were using the r-slur? That only makes sense. It's against the community rules, is it not? The mods here never claimed to be free speech absolutists.
If you think the problem here is that people aren't allowed to use the r-slur, you completely missed the point of the article.
The hypocrisy is the main issue. This admin cries about how people can't say the r-slur anymore, and then they get butthurt and threaten abuses of power when it's used against them.
Weaponizing the FBI against some jerks on the internet is a huge part of the problem too. Enforcing conduct and language standards falls on content moderation teams, not federal law enforcement. That doesn't mean the whole internet should be the wild west. Unless you're okay with nazis spouting hate? Because that's what you'll get with free speech absolutism.
So honestly I really don't get you're point. Should the mods not remove comments that use slurs, and ban repeat offenders?
ieh -1 points a month ago
I suggest using the power of your free speech to walk up in person too anyone of color and using any of those words to their face and see how your "free speech" goes.
Furthermore, a little reasearch on what "free speech" means and doesn't mean might be in order.
What I find interesting is that so many people seem to want to stand up on the side of bigotry and demand their "right" to be a bigot and use bigoted language. I'm not sure that's really a great look.
macaw_dean_settle -6 points a month ago
Wrong use of ellipses.
wonderingwanderer 2 points a month ago
Wrong use of pedantry...
some_kind_of_guy 1 point a month ago
...no...
TootTootComingThru 8 points a month ago
Chud is a no no word meant to disparage underground canibals you can't use that word!
postmateDumbass 1 point a month ago
The Union of People with Googly-eyes will find you in a dark alley.
kreskin 16 points a month ago
I'm not making an account on musks shitty fake social network. Hey Patel, you are a complete idiot.
Heres the old IQ scale so you can reference what that means.
Moron: IQ of 50–69 (mild impairment) Imbecile: IQ of 20–49 (moderate to severe impairment) Idiot: IQ below 20 (profound impairment)
http://www.assessmentpsychology.com/...
And any FBI agents who come to my house better bring a signed warrant or you'll simply be trespassed and told to go fuck yourselves.
JeeBaiChow 5 points a month ago
Ill just borrow 'profound impairment' when it refers to herr patel.
foodandart 1 point a month ago
Oh, God yeah..
TootTootComingThru 18 points a month ago
Counterpoint: I'll use whatever accurate term I want to describe this googly eyed fascist dipshit cuck I want in real life and this type of finger wagging is detrimental in the long run. I don't love the word but if you've ever called someone lame or an idiot, you've also used ableist slurs. Don't be an asshole in general but this isn't as big a deal to most people in the meatspace and it's mostly fine.
These cunts literally want to disassemble what remains of our democracy and put certain groups in camps, its fine if somebody calls them something that actually hurts their feelings. Because calling them Nazis certainly doesn't.
daychilde -10 points a month ago
The problem is you're not hurting the ones you want to, and you are hurting people - real poeple - who do not deserve it. It's like bombing a wedding or school when you want to bomb the terrorists.
And do we need to discuss how language works? "Colored" used to be the preferred term for people who are Black - the NAACP still has the term in their name from that time. But try calling someone that. In the same way, many of the people who are "retarted" still have the medical diagnosis of "mental retardation". It doesn't make the word any less offensive in the same way that calling someone of colour "Colored" is. That's just how language works. The words you mentioned have passed into common usage.
So at the VERY BEST, your argument is "I should be able to use offensive and hurtful words because they might become non-offensive in the future" while causing actural, real harm now, and not even accomplishing the goal you want to accomplish anyway.
As far as how to rescue our country, here are some brief thoughts:
The best way, but one of the hardest, is to try and break through the relentless fascist propaganda and change the minds of those who do actually understand progressive ideas - when it affects them personally. Countless times we hear of them suddenly realizing that abortion is a right when THEIR family needs one, that social safety nets are important when THEIR family needs them. It's difficult to break through, but this would be the best way if we could.
The second best way is to do the same for all those who have bought into the "both sides" and "politics doesn't matter" and don't vote, and get them to vote blue. Even with the current state of the Democratic party with its large establishment contingent that are beholden to the oligarchs like the Republicans all are, we'd see SOME progress with a Democratic super-majority
Encouraging progressive politics. It seems that the DSA is currently becoming a center of power and interest with this idea - enough people are becoming comfortable with the idea of democratic socialism (as opposed to Socialism) that there's some progress possible here, so we should support that - because the time for progressive politics is the primaries and before that - in the general, it is time for "vote blue no matter who" because the progressive battle might've already been lost, but red vs blue is still worth fighting.
The least lovely way for change is by enough people having enough and standing up and taking back our government. This requires MUCH risk. People WILL die almost certainly, and it might not work. But what you NEED for that is enough people out on the streets shutting everything down that action must happen - and you need a plan - and you need people ready to go take over. And to get there, you need massive protests. And to get massive protesets, you need sustained and growing protests. And to get there, you need organization and you need people getting other people to get out and protest, and for that you need people convincing others that it's something worth our time to do, and to convince others that we CAN make a change and get progressive politics/laws in place. So ti's a big process. Oh, and most likely, you need some sort of spark for the fire - once everyone is out on the streets, ideally something happens that causes people to lose their shit and stand up and take over.
So there's all these things we need to be working on, and none of them involve using ableist slurs that don't help.
Burn_The_Right -1 points a month ago
- Use perfectly legal means to exterminate conservatives on an industrial scale. Conservatives despise regulations that protect their water and air. They have removed those "woke" regulations in countless conservative communities, making it perfectly legal to give millions of nazis various forms of rare, difficult to treat terminal diseases. No laws need to be broken to solve the infestation of nazis in these cases.
WhiskyTangoFoxtrot 12 points a month ago
I'm just going through this thread upvoting every "Removed by moderator" comment I see.
Burn_The_Right 0 points a month ago
What is YPTB? Can I discuss legal ways to exterminate the cockroaches there without getting my comments removed?
some_kind_of_guy 4 points a month ago
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pineapplelover 9 points a month ago path: 0 25800581, hotness: undefined, score: 9, children: 0
daychilde 7 points a month ago
No.
My wife used to teach adults with cognitive and developmental disabilities. They learned Shakespeare.
The reason the term "mental retardation" came into being was to indicate a slowness of learning. And while it's a complicated topic, it's arguably true that many of them do learn some things more slowly.
But they absolutely learn.
They know the term "retard" and know it applies to them. They feel pain knowing that it is used.
And it's unfair. When I say they learned Shakespeare - upon more than one occasion I saw her class discussing the topic intelligently and with full understanding.
There are plenty of other words people can use that don't have the same harm.
And yes, some will say "other words used to be like that and aren't". Great! Use them! "Colored' used to be the preferred term for people who are Black, but I'd love to sit by and watch you call someone that.
daychilde 2 points a month ago
No apologies needed - when presented with new information if you can see another point of view. I've had to do the same about many things. :)
And yes, Patel is an idiot, moron, fucking muppet. The list goes on and on and on. heh
myyass -1 points a month ago
This kind of "banning" of words is annoying and superficial. It's a word used in French. Like if you say 逃げろ well in one country it's to run away and in another country it's racist. And don't worry the self censorship only breeds creativity. Had students that would say vi-negar, or knee growth, or the latest n-wah. So realistically it solves nothing. It wouldn't surprise me that r-wah would be a thing as well.
NotASharkInAManSuit 8 points a month ago
Dear FBI, Kash Patel is a douchebag. Please make sure he sees this.
Hugs and kisses.
- NotASharkInAManSuit
OhStopYellingAtMe 8 points a month ago path: 0 25797343, hotness: undefined, score: 8, children: 0
Discountsoup 7 points a month ago
One of my daughters has CP and we use the term ironically often… is retard really becoming a slur? We think it’s fine if you’re not special needs around these parts. However if you called a special needs person retarded then its basically fighting words.
Redditmodstouchgrass 1 point a month ago
" I love consuming CP"
HAAAANK!!! It doesn't stand for Chicken Parmesan, HAAAANNK!!!
Jyek 3 points a month ago
A slur is any insulting or disparaging remark. The r-word used as a way to make fun or tear down any individual is a slur. It hasn't even been used as a medical term for decades now. It doesn't matter the company you keep or if the recipient of said remark is "okay" with it. It's a slur and has been distasteful for a long time.
ieh 1 point a month ago
Technically, one of the things that makes it worse - some of the folks I used to work with still had MR as their official medical diagnosis - less than a decade ago, and since most of them were young enough to probably be still alive, they still have it.
omghi 6 points a month ago
For the record the Twitter page that article is talking about ('I Find Retards') is a right-wing Twitter page. Previously considered retards: trans people and those with Down Syndrome, and anyone remotely left-wing. They use 'retard' because they don't care about minorities and like 'edgy humor'. Why do you use it, then? Don't make your hatred of fascists make you forget about your fellow disabled Dems, like me.
DarrinBrunner 5 points a month ago
We've made a bit of progress. In the past, such a post would be immediately banned, simply for having the word in the title. As if the word itself is magical apart from context and intent.
ShaggySnacks 2 points a month ago
I joined the FBI to [solve crimes/harass minorities] and now I am replying to flame wars on Twitter. I hate my life.
- Some FBI Agent
chromacollector 1 point a month ago
This headline will very likely be written in history books.
Gaja0 1 point 25 days ago
N-word offensiveness comes from the historical marginalization of a group of people.
Intellect is relative, which is very different. I feel that is the reason why, for me, R is still uncomfortable, but not as offensive? I don't use the word, but I've basically never encountered a deliberate marginalization of the intellectually disabled. The marginalization by race, however...
Berlinblades 1 point a month ago
I Support this Action.
SethTaylor 1 point a month ago
And what did they say?
forkDestroyer 1 point a month ago
The central Twitter post wording is close to the top of the article.
BananaChips 0 points a month ago
I mean... getting upset over use of the 'r' word sounds kind of woke to me 🤷
Gammelfisch 0 points a month ago
Can we use "reject" instead?
cantstopthesignal 3 points a month ago
Until school-aged children begin calling their friends reject, then we will have to shift to more positive language like not unrejected. The object being of course to make it as obnoxious as possible for kids to use therapy language to make fun of each other.
jordanlund -23 points a month ago
Reminder: Ableist slurs are NOT allowed regardless of who they are directed at.
Read up!
TootTootComingThru 24 points a month ago
*Noooo don't call an actual real life monster and a fascist a no no word noooo that makes you just as bad as them nooooo! *
braxy29 15 points a month ago
so calling him any slur is okay, or just this one?
i mean, fuck that guy, but that word has a heavy and hateful impact on some people. i just think it's easier for people to ignore that one than to ignore several others, unfortunately.
SarahValentine 11 points a month ago
You managed to call them a monster and a fascist without resorting to ableist slurs just fine. Get over it.
TootTootComingThru 0 points a month ago
I can get over minor things and words that don't matter just fine. Can you? Thick skin and resilience matters a whole of a lot more than nagging other people about certain words.
the_crotch -2 points a month ago path: 0 25800939 25801580 25805054 25813419, hotness: undefined, score: -2, children: 0
wonderingwanderer 16 points a month ago
The reason good people don't need rules is because they wouldn't violate them even if they did. Using that to rationalize being a jerk is misapplying it.
If you're a "good man," you wouldn't be using the r-slur in the first place. The exact cognitive dissonance which allows fascists to be fascists is that they believe themselves to be good people and therefore don't need rules. But instead of actually being good people, they use this as an excuse to be terrible to others.
Neocorporation 15 points a month ago
Oh that was juicy. Thank you for that one.
jordanlund 4 points a month ago
If only there were good people on the Internet... 😂
postmateDumbass 6 points a month ago
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CharlesDarwin 4 points a month ago
Long ago, my father would inspect hospitals and would have to call in his reports and I'd frequently hear the r-word - in its original form - in those instances, at least originally. And like you say, that word was originally meant as a euphemism since it just means "slowed".
A term that was more frequently slung around on our playground, probably more than the r-word was "sped", which took me a long time to connect with the shorthand for saying SPecial EDucation.
Redditmodstouchgrass 3 points a month ago
Yeah, I've never liked the outrage surrounding this because people are such hypocrites. People will censor you for using r*****, but then turn right around and call you an idiot or a moron, as if they aren't the same thing with the same shitty sentiment behind it.
thanks for using Leebra!
go to feed...
Did they all reply to the posts with "yeah, we know"?
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