Message from discussion developmentallly delayed

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From: "Pat Durkin" <durki...@msn.com>
Newsgroups: alt.english.usage
Subject: Re: developmentallly delayed
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 08:18:58 -0500
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"Frederick Williams" <frederick.willia...@tesco.net> wrote in message 
news:4AC9DEB9.E7E30A08@tesco.net...
> mm wrote:
>>
>> In an episode of Law and Order from last winter, there is a boy who
>> isn't normal mentally.  The police in private call him retarded. 
>> His
>> father calls him slow, and his mother says "Wake up, darling, he is
>> *developmentally delayed*."  She says this with scorn and passion,
>> like it is so much worse than slow,   Actually, it's almost the 
>> same
>> as slow.  How come she doesn't notice that?
>>
>> It is the same or almost the same as retarded, and none are really
>> accurate or complete in this case, because he's not merely delayed 
>> or
>> progressing at a slow speed (slow, retarded), he's stopped.
>>
>> Ahd the mother says "develpmentally delayed" like it's a mean 
>> vulgar
>> phrase, when iiuc it is intended to be the nice phrase.
>>
>> Amazing how people relate to words.
>
> I'm not familiar with Law and Order but is the mother sneering at 
> the
> "political correctness" of "developmentally delayed"?

Oh, yes.  She seems more than a bit sarcastic in her choice of words, 
considering the situation, and perhaps the child's problems have been 
much whispered about among her family and friends, which she has taken 
personally.