I recently discovered that the word, retard/retarded has become a very offensive term. This can no longer be used as it’s an egregiously hurtful word.
I was walking with my shadow.I go for a couple walks a day(physical fitness is important) and my neighbor kid follows me. As we were approaching his house he mentions a neighbor who has achieved the greatest heights of sheer stupidity (he was drunk and fought a beehive with a broomstick and was absolutely obliterated) and I just casually mentioned, “the dudes retarded.”
Well, his parents were waiting for him. As the word retarded came out of my mouth, his parents faces drop, and my shadow went silent. Normally, he has a lot to say about nothing. His silence intrigues me.
My friends and I used the word retarded from an early age. Never gave it too much thought. (But now I know how terribly wrong I have been using this term until very recently)!We even knew a guy named Todd that became known as reTodd.
So I turn around and my shadow, even though he isn’t talking, which is miraculous, has a look of pure triumph on his face. His silence, yet look of wild triumph leave me perplexed. He then says, “OH MY GOD MICHAEL! YOU JUST USED THE R WORD! ALONG WITH BOTH F WORDS, THE N AND C WORDS, ITS THE WORST THING YOU COULD EVER SAY!” His smile is glowing, and he is immensely pleased he bore witness to such a grave offense.
My mind is racing and I’m almost crippled with indecision and wild curiosity. “BOTH F words? What’s the other F word?
His dad says, “Michael, we don’t use that word around here.” He then informs me that the word retard is on a list of the most egregious, offensive and hurtful words.
BOTH F words…..what is the other…..?
He tells me it’s offensive to kids, “on the spectrum,” and that it hurt their feelings, and today, kids feelings must be protected at all cost. (Apparently kids are much more fragile than ever before) The kids are also told they must tell on anyone who uses the word retard, or others on the NFFRC list. When I was a kid you learned to toughen up, fight back, and quickly figured out that snitches get stitches. How times have changed.
Mental note: don’t say retarded ever again, replace it with something more politically correct.
I find that the words replacing the original terms often sound worse. I know a guy that started saying physically offensive instead of fat or obese. Somehow, telling someone, “I find that I am offended by your physical appearance,” sounds much worse than fat.
The shadows dad suggested using something like mentally special I said, “what about intellectually inarticulate, or neurolyimpeeded?”(I myself was definitely intellectually inarticulate) He happily said, “yes! There you go! You got the idea.” Unbelievable. The world has gone nuts.
