Use Another Word

Today is the annual Spread the Word to End the Word campaign ... where advocates everywhere are asking people to take the pledge to eliminate the derogatory use of the words retarded/retard from every day speech and promote the inclusion and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities.

The word is used so carelessly and in just about every example of when it's used; it isn't even the right word for that situation. It doesn't make any sense to use the word as a catch-all for every possible negative scenario.

It makes the person sound uneducated; because really? Something was retarded? You don't think there were a number of other words that fit better in your sentence? Isn't your vocabulary a little more expansive than throwing the word retarded/retard around in your conversations?

I'm re-sharing the post I did last year: An Open Letter. There isn't anything more I could say about the subject.

It's time to find another word to use.