Hah. Fair enough. I have given up many words but that one I'm particularly too fond of to let go.

Not to get into a rant about language here, but to me the word evolved and does now evoke any image of legitimate medical challenges to me. But I know it can for people and I know the history of the word.

But that's the funny thing about language. We use the term moron freely, another word whose meaning has evolved. The R word isn't quite there and still has some sting.

It's funny because... it's not the first time I had to defend my use of the word. And I don't use it often.

But one point I like to make is that if I say the word and it immediately conjures up the image of someone with a legitimate disability in your mind, then maybe it's not my problem. I'm not attacking you and understand your point of view also, but I had to bring this up :P

When I hear or use the word, I never have disabled or challenged people in my mind, I have idiotic politicians and dumbass people.

On the flip side, if I'm thinking about disabled or challenged people, whom I also have in my surrounding as well, that word never comes to mind.

I swear there's a comedy bit about this somewhere, where someone says retard and another goes "hey hey woah, watch your words, my brother has X disability" and the other guy goes like "hey woah woah, that's offensive that you think of him when I say retard. Your brother is not retarded, he's a smart guy with X condition. Not in the same universe"

Anyway. I said I wouldn't rant.

Language cam be interesting.

TL;DR I get where you're coming from, but we all have our hills to die on and I'm not ready to part with such a useful word yet, especially in this clown world we live in

It's all love tho <3