Talking Points Memo Unfairly Scare-Quotes Jeb Bush’s Use of the Word ‘Retarded’
The word “retard” has two meanings: first, the insult meant to disparage mentally handicapped individuals, and second, “to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.”
Jeb Bush used the word in a video recorded by American Bridge, with the obvious intent of using its second definition, in talking about immigration. He said, “We should not have a multicultural society. When you create pockets of isolation, and in some cases, the assimilation process has been retarded, it’s wrong. It limits people’s aspirations.”
Now, given the context plus the fact that someone like Bush wouldn’t just go ahead and say something randomly insulting like that, it’s pretty clear what he meant.
But Talking Points Memo still scare-quoted it up as if Bush meant it in the offensive context:
Someone end this >>> Jeb: A 'Multicultural' Society May Lead To 'Retarded' Assimilation (VIDEO) @TPM http://t.co/JI83KHyOYR
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) September 22, 2015
The reaction from some conservatives on Twitter was justifiably along the lines of WTF:
Is there a reason for scare quoting "retarded" when it has a perfectly valid use here? https://t.co/6UsaRxxGTs
— Mark Hemingway (@Heminator) September 22, 2015
Jeb uses the word "retarded" properly, TPM scare-quotes it so people will think he was disparaging mentally disabled http://t.co/xRhZadKhMZ
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) September 22, 2015
someone used the word "retarded" to mean "slowed" per the dictionary definition and you've decided to be a retard? https://t.co/h185lDpjXo
— Baron_Von_Meow (@AceofSpadesHQ) September 22, 2015
All partisanship aside: Are there really pro writers out there who don’t know that “retarded” has a non-slur meaning? http://t.co/IwC3kxhilT
— Allahpundit (@allahpundit) September 22, 2015
We're now in "Jeb Bush didn't say anything offensive but we can interpret it that way if we want, thus it is wrong" territory.
— David Rutz (@DavidRutz) September 22, 2015
If this is an honest attempt to gin up an outrage moment, it's a strikingly subpar effort. https://t.co/UmAe3E1sA6
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) September 22, 2015
You really have to be intellectually dishonest to tug on that threat.
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) September 22, 2015
The New Republic‘s Jeet Heer started posting tweets defending the framing, but a few tweets into it he got some pushback from decidedly non-conservative people and by the end apologized:
If I were a member of the Bush family I'd avoid the word "retarded" https://t.co/n9o8ZhtIrr
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
1. Many conservatives on my timeline are defending Jeb Bush's use of the word "retarded" here: http://t.co/tmtA3Isxqi
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
2. This brings up a point about political language that I've been meaning to make: that there are shades of connotations.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
3. The defence of Jeb is that in a dictionary sense he said nothing offensive: he meant "retarded" as in "slower"
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
4. Thing is, words have conniptions more potent than dictionary meanings. "He's a queer fellow – I mean, odd — look at the dictionary!"
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
5. In the current case, "retarded" is a very, very potent insult. So much so that the slur overwhelms other dictionary meanings.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
@HeerJeet you might want to back away from this one
— Jim Newell (@jim_newell) September 22, 2015
@jim_newell @HeerJeet strongly disagree, Jeet. Completely acceptable usage.
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) September 22, 2015
@chrislhayes @jim_newell @HeerJeet yeah man, you screwed the pooch on this one. Nothing to see here.
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) September 22, 2015
6. This applies also to Trump's notorious Mexican rapist speech. Did he say "they are rapists" or "their rapists"?
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
7. In Trump's case, simply throwing Mexican and rapists in the same sentence carried a more powerful connotation than either word choice.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
8. In Bush case, I'm leery of Bush using otherwise acceptable word because it comes in context of polemic, so feels charged.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
9. But, I should note that there are many strong dissents against me on this, so I could be wrong: https://t.co/SCwl08CGlw
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
10. I think the serious objections to my response are a) best to give generous reading of opponents words & not look for worse connotation
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
11. b) focus on these sort of linguistic minutia ignores takes attention from much larger political & policy objections to Bush's speech.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
12. In reading these twitter essays, It's perhaps useful to remember that I'm often thinking out loud about things I'm uncertain of.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
13. My initial response on listening to Bush's speech was to assume he was evoking a slur. But based on strong arguments, I see I was wrong
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
14. So: apologies for both mis-interpreting Jeb's words and also for making a juvenile joke based on that misinterpretation.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) September 22, 2015
[image via screengrab]
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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac
This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.
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