Ah, slang. Take a word, change it's meaning, and you have a brand-new word! For example, the word "sick" has somehow been changed from beyond negative to quite positive I say. Even some racist words have been reinvented to be positive in the eyes of the speaker and listener. It's almost like creating a new language. However, slang can be offensive and insensitive, and you may not realize this yourself. The most obvious example of this would be the word "gay", which has been changed to be synonymous with "stupid" and highly offensive to those of the LGBT community. Another prominent word that's very popular with our youth is the ever-so-popular "retard"

Now, what is a retard? According to SCIENCE, a man that is considered mentally retarded is one with an IQ number of 70 or below. Borderline Intellectual Functioning is 71-85, 86-109 is average, and 110 or above is considered superior. This is merely one definition, as there seems to be some debate, but that's beyond the point. Often times, a mentally retarded person suffers from conditions such as Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc; others do not. Regardless of who, this is a problem plaguing the United States as a whole (and likely other countries/nations)

Can you recall learning about segregation? Often times, those of African-American descent were ridiculed for being "N-words". Now, this is different in that it's generally used to describe objects or people who are not literally retarded, similar to the word "gay", but it's disgusting and politically incorrect nonetheless.

Take this into account. You are related to a person who has a low IQ. You are surrounded by people who deem everything that irritates them in a minor way, as in "That's retarded". Does it bother you? Or perhaps you are part of a group that is often discriminated against, one way or another, due to your religion, gender, race, or sexuality. Does that bother you?

Take this all into account. Have your thoughts changed, or do you still have the unnecessary feeling to call all that is merely minor "retarded"? Simply put, think before you speak. You never know who you'll offend.