A few weeks ago I saw a PSA on TV that urged people to stop using the “r-word” comparing it to ethic slurs like Kike and Spic, and by the “r-word” the ad meant retard. I am all for not hurting people’s feelings and treating those who are different from you with the respect and dignity that all human beings deserve. I cannot however wholeheartedly endorse this message because unlike Kike or Spic. Retard is not a slang word invented to denigrate an entire class of people. It is actual word in the English language that means:
verb (used with object) to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede. –verb (used without object) to be delayed. -noun - a slowing down, diminution, or hindrance, as in a machine. Automotive, Machinery . an adjustment made in the setting of the distributor of an internal-combustion engine so that the spark for ignition in each cylinder is generated later in the cycle.
While retard can be used in a derogatory fashion in reference to another person it is not a word like Kike or Spic which have no meaning beyond being an insulting term for a Jew or a person of Spanish descent. This is where the PSA went wrong. Instead of focusing on the word, why not focus on how it is being used. Maybe instead of banning perfectly legitimate words we should be teaching manners and etiquette, and letting people know that they should chose their words carefully. Because according to the definition above, I could describe a car as retarded, and it may not be an insult at all. So instead of creating a word police and chopping up the beautiful, messy and tasty gumbo that is the English language into an unrecognizable mush that, while it may be easier to digest, is bland and unappetizing, we should try to be better people with diverse vocabularies who do not need or want to resort to using retard as an insult.
