Shut Up and Laugh
Today I read that a ton of people are offended by the use of the word ‘retard’ in the comedy movie Tropic Thunder. Personally, I’m sick and tired of people complaining about every little thing. Yes, little thing. I don’t believe people should be offended by such a small thing. It is, after all, only a word. If it was an entire book telling you you’re worthless and don’t deserve to live, then sure, have at it. But it’s only one little word. I don’t get offended when someone calls me a honky. If you don’t think it’s the same, take a look at the definition of the words honky and retard.
Honky – Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a white person.
Retard – Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a mentally retarded person.
As you can clearly see, both of these are the same term in the sense that they are ‘offensive slang used as a disparaging term.’ ‘Honky’ simply refers to a white person while ‘retard’ refers to a mentally retarded person. There is one difference to note. Notice how ‘mentally retarded person’ has the word ‘retard’ in it? Why is it taken offensively if it’s only a shortened version of the actual condition? That would be like me getting offended if someone called me ‘whitey.’ Now that I think about it, that is a better comparison. At least ‘whitey’ and ‘white’ are similar in spelling. So next time you (or someone you know) gets offended by the word ‘retard,’ just remember how utterly fatuous it is.