use of the word 'moron'

Call me whatever hat names you like...as you say, there is no discriminatory connotations. Just as moron doesn't to anyone most likely in living memory on this thread.
A victim because someone used the word moron on a forum, some people must have extremely sheltered lives

A cunt is a part of 50% of the population
A cock is a part of 50% of the population

They are fairly equal opportunity insults, although I prefer arsehole, because everybody has one!

Gipsy, what do you think 'mongitis' means? How would you define that word?

Apostrophes - your 'belief' based on an absence of your own personal experience of an issue has absolutely no weight versus the evidence of people who actually have experienced the use of this term as abuse.

Both are anecdotal and of equal value, actually.

If a word used to describe a disability is used as an insult then of course it is offensive, and hurtful to people who have that disability. You are basically saying, 'the worse thing I can think of is someone like that person over there'.

This could be an accepted term like autistic or special needs (eg 'god, that is so autistic', or 'those shoes are very special needs'.....both expressions I have seen on Mumsnet) or a term no longer used (like retarded or moronic).

Oh, totally agree if "hat" was a word used to bully, humiliate or even just describe a huge amount of disabilities without distinguishing between different symptoms and outcomes, then I hope it would become unacceptable.

I don't think we have such a thing as 'polite company' purple.

Is mongo bad? As in, (and I have heard this used in jest) "do you have mongitis?"

You could start with, is this a word which has been used to abuse and stigmatize a disadvantaged group, maybe.

Since it isn't based on disability gipsy I don't find it as offensive as moron. I wouldn't use it in polite company though.

You utter trilby 😂 Love it

The slipper, cane, board rubbers thrown, legs smacked until they bled as a 7 year old, soon healed.
The humiliation, mental abuse, never goes away.

I was involved in a small forum a while back where people posted case studies, if I can find I'll post. Otherwise a quick google with the right words should give you all an indication what it was like.

Where do you draw the line through purple, as someone said up thread, they don't like the word 'cunt'. Again, a very very very common word in certain parts 😳
(Honestly we're not as bad as we sound 😟)

I might start using hat as an insult. Or maybe types of hat. "You utter trilby" has a nice ring to it.

Apostrophes - your 'belief' based on an absence of your own personal experience of an issue has absolutely no weight versus the evidence of people who actually have experienced the use of this term as abuse.

As to the idea that people just shouldn't use the internet ... yeah, lets blame and penalise the victims rather than trying to clean up our little corner of it by simple civility.

No, not in England, no belt.

The op's point is that some people (this debate pops up often enough to show the op isn't in any way alone) consider moron to be disablist because of it's origins. You think it's a relatively inoffensive word mumoftwo, the op doesn't. Your example of you finding the word "hat" offensive doesn't work because there are no grounds on which it could be offensive and I'm guessing you'd be the only one calling for it to be banned.

There is a reasonable debate to be had about the M word and the op is perfectly entitled to start it.

Didn't they have the belt back in the 70/80s, I don't think anyone was having a good time of it

I'm with Gipsy. If you're that offended by a relatively inoffensive word, I would avoid the Internet. You will come across a lot worse. I would also consider it to be your problem, not anyone else's. I might find the word 'hat' offensive and it might result in me being a puking, quivering wreck, but I'm not going to start threads asking for it to be banned my problem, my extensive therapy bill!

It's fine for you to say what you believe, no one would say otherwise, that is your experience but it isn't mine.

I grew up in the 50s and 60s and never heard it used as an insult to DCs with learning disabilities. I taught from the 1970s onwards and never heard it used in that way, either. Only ever heard it aimed at adults.