[Y_Y]

> So are you saying...

The answer to such a question is pretty much always no. (cd. Betteridge's Law)

Being (developmentally) retarded is a a way to be stupid. There a lots of other ways each with their own merits. People with intellectual disabilities aren't inherently bad, or morally bad, or necessarily worse that any person without a diagnosable disorder. That said, the whole idea is that the typical process of cognitive development is slowed or stalled on the way from baby to adult. This has undeniable disadvantages and, all else being equal, nobody should want it.

My feeling is that you must mix empathy with empiricism, and be brutally honest about the practical facts, while obviously not extending that to any unfounded personal judgements.

[rovolo]

> People with intellectual disabilities aren't inherently bad, or morally bad, or necessarily worse that any person without a diagnosable disorder ... all else being equal, nobody should want it.

When you call someone r-, you are saying they are bad because they are acting like someone with intellectual disabilities. You are asserting that it's okay, because nobody should want to have an intellectual disability.