Stop saying the word “Retarded”!
I hate when people say the word “retarded” when they are trying to insult someone or something. For instance: “Don’t wear that shirt — it makes you look retarded,” or “Damn that car is messed up — it looks all retarded.”
This is incredibly disrespectful and hurtful. Just think how this makes people with disabilities feel who have historically been on the receiving end of this word’s malice.
The more this word circulates as an acceptable pejorative, the more it reenforces the oppressed position of people with disabilities in our society, which includes job discrimination, housing discrimination, social discrimination and ostracism, and even violence.
ugh YES…this is one of my pet peeves. The use of the word “retarted”… Just like the word “gay”….People truly don’t OVERstand their WORD SOUND POWER… words can be damaging at times…better be careful…