It’s common practice in today’s society to say what’s on your mind without considering the implications. What we say can make or break a relationship, build a person up, or bring them to their knees. Words are far more powerful than we give them credit for.
A word that I hear at an alarming frequency is “retarded.” Anything that could be labelled as absurd, ill conceived, or illogical is often expressed with this word. It’s an outdated medical term referring to developmental (dis)ability and it comes with a long, dark history of neglect, abuse, and oppression. When this word is uttered, it comes with that baggage and hate, despite the user’s intention.
So, should we all go read up on how to be politically correct and live in fear of being offensive, or looked down upon for not being up to speed with the current ways of vocalizing our opinions? No.
I don’t like the term “politically correct.” I prefer “collaborative language”: contributing to a conversation rather than devaluing others and stripping individuals and cultures of respect. Enough repression is already being perpetuated without ignorant and counterproductive speech.
So before saying “retarded,” I strongly suggest doing some research to have some idea of what’s actually being said. In the meantime, if it’s difficult to think of something less hurtful and ignorant to say, get a bloody dictionary.