SWA#9

In today’s society the word “retarded” has become “hate speech” according to Gail Williamson. It is no longer used to describe someone who is simply mentally disabled, but is used to describe something or someone a person does not like. This has given the word a derogatory meaning and can no longer be used to describe the mentally disabled because it will appear as though we are talking negatively about them. When someone uses a cuss word it is immediately known as bad speech, the word “retarded” should be added to those known unspeakable words because it has no positive connotations to it.

To retard something is to slow it down. It has been used in association with the mentally disabled and is accurately done so. Many people use it in the wrong context, but it is by no means “hate speech.” Every time you turn around another word must be added to a list that we are not to say because someone said it in a negative way. If we are to remove a word from our vocabulary every time someone says something that offends someone then we will have almost no words left. It is illogical to try and ban words just because a small number of people are offended.