Our generation's vernacular is plagued with offensive slurs, such as "that's so gay", or "she's such a slut."
While recent movements have made millennials more conscious of using the formerly mentioned terms (although they still need to be curbed more), one word is still used as an insult without much acknowledgement of the offensive implications.
The word "retarded" needs to stop being used. Sure, someone may spit the Webster's definition at you if you reprimand them for using the word, but the definition that they recite back to you is not meant for the context of malicious insults. Or maybe they say that they're just joking, but it's offensive on so many levels, and people with mental disabilities--though their minds process information differently than others--have beautifully unique, very human minds. Don't diminish the worth of a human being who is a little different than yourself by labeling them--and even worse--using that label as a synonym for stupid.
It still astonishes me--shocks me to the point where I am dumbfounded by a person's ignorance-- when someone uses the word "retard" or "retarded" in a negative way. According to a poll conducted on Ljworld.com (Lawrence Journal-World), 75 percent of people use the word "retard" as an insult. The extent of its prevalence according to this survey made me question the compassion of our society.
For me, this rant against the R word comes from the heart. Growing up with an uncle with autism-- he's an animal lover, a kind friend, and a persistent worker--I cringe whenever my peers use the word. Maybe, if others saw the personal implications of the use of "retard(ed)," they would be compelled to abolish the word from their vocabularies.
In order for one to understand the widespread, ostracizing effects of using the word "retard" in a derogatory way, one needs to transcend himself into another's shoes, experiencing the insult from the receiving end. A Special Olympics athlete, Joseph Franklin Stephens, articulates the need for empathy in this quote:
“It hurts and scares me when I am the only person with intellectual disabilities on the bus and young people start making 'retard' jokes or references. Please put yourself on that bus and fill the bus with people who are different from you. Imagine that they start making jokes using a term that describes you. It hurts and it is scary." (www.r-word.org/r-word-effects-of-the-word.aspx)
Joseph Franklin Stephens--an athlete, a hate speech abolitionist, and a person with very real emotions--proves that the use of the word "retard(ed)" can never just be a joke. It incites fear, isolation, and heartache. And just as he articulated perfectly, the root of the problem is that people don't empathize when they are using hate speech; they never think about how they feel when they are put down. "Retarded" should not be used as an insult. A person--regardless of sexual orientation, mental disabilities, and skin color--is beautiful and deserves to be recognized by his or her individuality, not a label.
One must remember that every human from each crevice and corner of this earth is just that: a human. We could all use a little more consciousness of our speech, choosing our words diligently and with a constant sense of empathy in order to evolve our world to a more accepting, compassionate place.