You know how some words we don’t want to say in public turn into cute little phrases like “the N word” or “the S word?”

Well, there’s a new little phrase that I’d like to recommend: “the R word.”

In today’s diversity sensitive culture, we are often cautious not to offend others with our words (Remember the annual debate on “Merry Christmas” versus “Happy Holidays?”).

This caution applies to more than religion. We’re constant­ly trying to change our language so we don’t discriminate through race, sex, age, etc.

Well, what about discrimination according to your mental level?

“Retard.” We all say it. And though there are many arguments about how the patronizing term is derived from its definition of slow, most people know that it actually comes from the mental descrip­tion of a whole group of people.

So, why is “retard” an accept­able word to say in most situa­tions?

I shiver at the idea of someone saying in the “N” word, not the phrase but the actual word, in the wrong situation?

Is it because that the group be­ing discriminated against with this word doesn’t have a voice? I don’t mean a literal voice, but a “voice” in the political and social realm.

This group doesn’t have a voice (or at least not a very effective one since not many people are com­plaining about this slang term coming back), I think that it is our ethical responsibility to return that slang to the grave.

This is one vocabulary zom­bie we should never have brought back. It is rude.

It is also unfair. We should pro­tect everyone’s rights no matter their sex, race or mental capacity.

Otherwise, we will never be a truly equal society.