The Word "retarded
For many years, the word “retarded” was considered by every facet of society to be clinical and objective. However, over time, the connotation behind the word changed and it developed a derogatory meaning to accompany its scientific usage. As the brother of a kid who would have been classified at “mentally retarded,” I have always been uncomfortable with the use of the word, because I have heard it primarily in a derogatory setting. I had a peculiar relationship with the word, because for the longest time it was the go to word to describe people with cognitive challenges in a medical setting, like my younger brother for example. Doctors would use it, so what made its usage so uncomfortable for me? It’s a word that when viewed in the dictionary, doesn’t appear to insult anybody, so what makes the word “retarded” feel offensive?