What I m about to say is by no means a personal attack I don t believe you personally engage in the behavior I am about to discuss Deadbeat itself is a slur It s why it s not used in the article on Bankruptcy even though it is synonymous with someone who is bankrupt It is not benign Moreover other than being scurrilous in its own right deadbeat dad and the construct deadbeat parent are right up there with welfare queen as code words for racial ethnic and class based bigotry You will notice that my tone has been strident to the point of indignation This is why The term is very often used to make certain underhanded and vile racist and classist allegations without actively stating the inherent racism and classism All I want is to find an intellectually honest way to achieve consensus and move on I found a precise legal term that may be more pointed but is certainly less inflammatory more precise and less racially fraught I am making every effort to come up with a solution to an ugly problem in the best faith I can muster I ask that you forgive my stridency but I have no tolerance for bigotry Certainly not when it is codified in an encyclopedia I ask that you show some good faith and instead of defending what I consider indefensible give me some suggestion for what possibilities you would entertain