So going off of what Nick brought up...
I also absolutely hate when people use the word retarded to say that something is stupid. Unless you are talking about a person who is truly mentally disabled, that word really should not be used in everyday conversation. You never know who around you has a family member or friend with mental disabilities and that could really hurt their feelings. Some teenagers use that word Multiple times a day referring to something being dumb or unfair. When I hear someone use this word incorrectly, I try to correct them or just mention, "Hey, don't use that word." I think we all need to try a little harder to stop the incorrect use of the word retarded; there Is a facebook cause dedicated to it, but I think we need to be more proactive than that.
Also, the word gay Does Not mean stupid! I love when Mr. Spoor and other people I know hear that word used incorrectly and comment, "Really? Does it have sex with the same gender?" I know we have all gotten soo used to hearing the word gay used incorrectly and meaning stupid or unfair, and I bet most of us barely notice it half the time. But again, you never know who is around you and whose feelings you could really be hurting. Whether someone around you knows someone gay or is gay themselves, they could be dealing with hard times and tough decisions. Especially if it is a teenager. So many teenage boys freak out about people being gay and they constantly make fun of homosexual people. That bothers me so much! How do they know that someone in their group of friends isn't gay and trying to be himself around them? When those boys come across as so against being gay, they would be hurting that close friend's feelings and shutting down/discouraging his want to tell the truth.
We all definately need to be more sensitive to those around us and stop using any of those words incorrectly.
