Two bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this year will remove outdated terminology in state law language for certain classes of people beginning in January.
Assembly Bill 248, also known as the Dignity for All Act, removes the words and phrases “mentally retarded persons,” “mentally retarded children,” “retardation” and “handicap” from existing laws to eliminate “obsolete terminology,” as per the bill’s text.
Instead, terms like “individuals with disabilities” or “individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities” will be used. The bill was authored by Assemblymember Devon Mathis, R-Visalia.
The language to describe people with disabilities has evolved over more than a century from “feeble minded,” “idiot,” “imbecile” and “crippled” to “retarded,” which has also simply become an insult and is in need of being taken out of official wording in the state, according to The Arc, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The California branch of The Arc said that “mentally retarded” emerged in the mid-1800s by medical professionals.
Jim Frazier, public policy director for The Arc of California and a former member of the state Assembly, said that the Dignity for All Act should be applauded for removing phrasing that may be considered derogatory to communities.
“In today’s modern society, we are constantly evolving by learning from our past and making changes that get us closer to creating a world that reflects our vision of full inclusion and equality for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Frazier wrote on the Arc of California’s website about the bill.
The Arc itself used to stand for the National Association for Retarded Children, but changed its own terminology and name over the years. In 1992 the organization dropped the “R word” completely to become simply The Arc, 20 years before the federal government removed the terminology associated with “retardation” under the Obama Administration.
Another bill aims to remove a derogatory stigma associated with a term in the state. Assembly Bill 1130 will replace the word “addict” with “a person with substance use disorder” in the California Uniform Controlled Substances Act text, which is part of the 2022 state health and safety code.
“Assembly Bill 1130 will contribute to the reduction of stigma for individuals with substance use disorder by replacing outdated, perforation terminology in our laws,” wrote the bill’s author, Congressman Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park. “This change is consistent with guidance from the National Institutes of Health to avoid terms that increase stigma and negative bias when discussing addiction.”
The stupid leaders of our state think that changing semantics will change the problems.. they’re inventing an entirely new language, yet the problems are getting worse and worse no matter what we call them. I’m going to be defiant in 2024 and start using all the terms we’re not supposed to. The first that comes to mind is the word ‘bum’. That is how I’m going to start describing all these street people moochers.
What a bunch o’ retards! Addicts and lowlifes.
California has gone to pigss.
We are now sliding swiftly down the slope of tyranny.
Soon, the list of banned words will be so complicated that simple communications will be reduced to grunts, groans, and allowed gestures.
Take a look at North Korea. See our future.
For those who will say, “it can’t happen here” it already has.
Remember, now all of the homeless/unhoused are now referred to as “our outdoor neighbors.” You can legislate a change in the name, but it is still the same.
Why do people keep voting for fools that try to make a mark for themselves with legislation that has no benefit to the majority of their constituents or that has no real impact upon our daily lives?
This is retarded.
Someones blue-haired neice or nephew is getting rich off of being the head honcho in charge of this new program to remove all traces of these two words. I’ll bet it comes up with even more words to get rid of, thereby ensuring job security.
pretty funny being that Newsome is ret*rded drug add*ct
Best comment😂😂😂 and so true, have some friends hang with him and he does all of this hahahaha😅
I can understand the mentally retarded term being in question, although it is technically accurate. The word “retarded” has been misused in a variety of derogatory ways for some time.
Removing the word “addict” when discussing “addiction” and replacing it with “a person with substance use disorder” only coddles woke minds, and weakens the comprehension of true language in the interest of furthering an agenda.
I can see removing the “r” word. But addict?? There’s nothing stigmatic about it as far as I can tell.
I don’t think you are allowed to call communications ‘simple’ any longer, ABE… Please!
Why use one word when 6 will cover more description. Anyone read 1984 lately? We’re there.
My friends and I still say retarded when we are talking about something really stupid. An addict is an addict and Newsom is a retarded addict.
…. more retarded woke cxxp from Newscum ….thinks it makes it looks like he is doing something – ridiculous
Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me. Oh wait, this is the land of snowflakes.
There is no need to be calling adults with learning disabilities or brain damaged…the “r” word in this day and age. When used on a child’s medical or academic report..it is painful for all involved..and there is no need for it to be used. I’m guessing if you want to continue calling your friends the “r” word..it’s perfectly appropriate.
That highly unintelligent re**ard newscum is allowing immigrants coming to California to have healthcare coverage. Yet those living on the streets and former war veterans cant get the same care. Thats unacceptable.
That’s called aiding and abetting an illegal activity (as in an illegal alien continuing a physical presence in CA). Some gutsy sheriff should arrest the jerk.
It’s technically treason.
Newsom needs mental help Priorities please!
State legislature is equivalent to a bunch of 13 year olds given a super majority by voters to pass any brain fart silliness they want. One other thing they have, ZERO adult supervision.
.
Send a clear message, Vote Them OUT of office.
ONLY way to fix California ! !
I used to live next door to a married couple who were mentality retarded, and they didn’t have a problem with using the word at all. The man would sometimes use it as an excuse when he messed something up and jokingly say things like, “what do you expect, I’m retarded.” He and his wife were the nicest neighbors I’ve ever had.
Dawg, RE: That excuse……watch this 35 second clip of Eric Cartman trying to fake his way into the Special Olympics.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyRHAvfA6Eg
The people writing these laws are guilty by association.They are what they write.
Haven’t our “officials” learned that rules like this are making the butt of everyone’s jokes? They must be quite delusional.
Well, I’m handicapped and I refer to myself as a crip, so…
Yeah for you Ed. Just please don’t call me one .thank you very much. This is all about what you label others not yourselves.
Too bad you are part of the problem but people will use language as they see fit right…
Don’t police my speech.
Apparently their goal is to create a nation of hypersensitive people, unable to cope with much.
Most of us got over this crap in kindergarten: We all had someone call us fat, or skinny, or short, or tall, or dumb, or retarded, or egghead, or rich, or poor, or someone said something bad about our mother.
As such, we became resilient. We all found a way to compete, to make friends, and stand up for ourselves. Pride, confidence, and dignity were the result. Those things can’t be created by legislation.
Yep, that’s the important stuff, gavin is such a squirrel.
Good Job California!
“Substance use disorder” places the blame on the person instead of powerful big pharma companies that have flooded the market with intentionally addictive substances and use lobbying money to limit treatment options to drugs that must be used for a lifetime. Keep “addict” which implies more of a combination of personal responsibility and the properties of the drug. Newsom is brought to you by Pfizer.
Retarded has a definition. It’s a real word. It still has its original meaning. They can get rid of words but the state is still full of both.
Are we still allowed to say a dam retards the flow of a river?
These addicts are retards!
I’m thinking this order came directly from the current administration since it describes them so perfectly.
As stated previously: The California government clowns have zero ability to handle and solve the real problems that are plaguing state, so they invent little petty fake ones for themselves to solve, and try to make themselves look important and worthy.
p.s. Has your life improved much because of Garvins past legislation to prevent hair-do discrimination?
somewhere, a mechanic using a timing light to tune down a carburetor is wondering why he’s being arrested…
So has the porn addict been replaced with “a person with penile use disorder?”
It really is so funny that the sitting governor of California is both an addict and a retard.
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re·tard
verb
/rəˈtärd/
delay or hold back in terms of progress, development, or accomplishment.
.
The word actually just means slow. So they will now just use slow to describe the same thing until that becomes “offensive”. We will run out of words that are allowed until we are grunting like animals. They are retarding society in the name of progress. It started with warning labels on everything and bike helmets.
So when my car has a retarded ignition what do I call it?
You say it’s a little “Newsome”
Newsomed
In fact, how will we read repair manuals on setting ignitions?
A car with spark disabilities.
So if the score says this section of the symphony is to be played “retardando” do all the parts need to be changed? I think not but it sure says something about the idiots who wrote this law. 🎶
“Advance challenged”.
They just removed classes for advanced students in elementary and middle schools so best believe the word “advanced” is on the chopping block. Socialism is gonna be the death of us all. It’s pretty obvious unless something drastic changes.
Newscum was more interesting when he was mayor of SF. Coming home drunk and having a affair with his campaign mangers wife, I guess that ended that friendship. Those where Newscum better days.
I’m going to demand that Newsome remove some additional terminology as well.
The Dignity for All Act should remove the derogatory, disparaging and degrading term “Quack”.
Just because many of us “discount doctors” ignore the formalities of an actual medical education from an accredited institution of higher learning, diplomas & licensing, it does not mean we should have to endure hurtful insults from those who expect all of us to be responsible care providers.
How about proficiently challenged MD, or undocumented MD?
Can we remove Biden and Newsom from our vocabulary?
Misunderstanding. :
Newsom said we can no longer talk about Joe Biden and his son Hunter….
1984 newspeak.
Orwell would be so proud.
California has gone to hell. And we have the idiot voters (yes, idiot) that place these morons (yes, morons) into office.
I salute you 🖕🖕🖕
I started to read this article, but was retarded in my progress because I was watching the 49ers play the Redskins.