the r slur be word from old term they call intellectual disability/ID (mental r—tion). in history, it be use against people with ID in legal/law, education, social, medical, institutionalization, and right to live in general.
it be medical term not make it better. in fact it make it worse because it gave word Official Power and use to allow bad things.
yes it sometimes people use it to people technically without ID, but still as that [mental r word] n comparing them to people with ID.
even if bigoted people who use the slur now, not realize by explicit word they compare you to people with ID…. image they have in head, the traits they attack, what they mock, they still done to compare to how they see people with ID.
be called it n bullied with r slur be hurtful, yes, bad, and should not happen. but it not compare to and override harm the slur cause to people with intellectual disability on whole institution and system level - again, it everywhere, legal/law, education, medical, institutionalization, social, if allowed to live, n so much more.
it is word with heavy history. you cannot remove history from this word/slur, especially not when you not even admit the history and history harm in first place.
it cannot be reclaimed, especially not when most of main group people it harm (people with ID) not want it reclaimed. not when you using it in harmful way.
do not remove how the word harm people with ID when talk about r word, they primary target & who word compare to, even if yes sometimes it throw to disabled (and even nondisabled) people without ID.
