Speech! Huzzah!

            We as a society have a tendency to overlook the vast power of words. By the end of this, I will have spoken over eight hundred of them. They can be brilliant. They can be moving. They can bring people to tears of joy. But, despite the childhood saying that only sticks and stones are hurtful, words can be too. They can connect ideas and concepts, namely those that contain negative connotations, to people. The words “retarded” and “gay” are frequently spoken in a derogatory manner; this is something that we as a culture need to not only reevaluate, but also spread the word about and truly make an effort to turn around.

            “We have a quiz next hour? That’s so gay!” “I can’t believe I missed number fourteen; I’m so retarded.” What’s wrong with both of these? Here’s what’s wrong: the words gay and retarded are being used not only in completely inaccurate contexts, but they’re also being used explicitly as insults. Unfortunately, the intent of both is clear—people in this age understand that when someone says “gay,” in that context, they don’t mean gay at all. They mean something completely different, something like absurd, or obtuse. When either gay or the r-word is equated to such a negative concept, it only pushes the idea further that actual people represent these concepts as well, which is of course completely false. And the truth is that there are a variety of other words that mean exactly what we are trying to say. We have the entire English language at our disposal; it shouldn't be and it isn't a challenge to find a word that makes sense and doesn't offend anyone. Illogical. Petty. Irrational. Dim. Dull. There are always words that fit. It also isn't hard to change it to something as simple as “I missed number fourteen?! What was I thinking?” Saying this not only makes the speaker seem more intelligent with a more broadened vocabulary, but it also refrains from using rude and trite expressions that have turned into insults.

Currently, on r-word.com, over three hundred thousand people have pledged to “support the elimination of the derogatory use of the r-word from everyday speech and promote the acceptance and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities,” or to spread the word to end the word. I am one of the three hundred thousand. You might think that using “retard” or “retarded” in everyday speech doesn’t offend anyone, especially when it’s directed only at a friend, or even yourself. The truth is that it is still offensive.  Used in speech these days, it has a blatant negative connotation—it’s supposed to be a bad thing. Initially, mental retardation was considered a legitimate medical term, but that term has been changed to “intellectual disability,” and now the r-word has become slang. Though it’s now technically detached from people who do have disabilities, it still generally draws these people to mind, even when it is used simply as slang. By equating the r-word to stupid or anything else that comes across as being negative, a message is sent that people who have intellectual disabilities are less valued or are less valid members of society. It is crucial that society adopts the mission of the people who have pledged online: to promote a new r-word, respect.

Similarly, the words “gay” or “homo” have acquired a slang usage with a negative connotation, stretching beyond the instance in which they’re jokingly used. The mere concept of using them as insults or jokes is disgusting, especially considering current statistics. Bullying and the overall dearth of acceptance, in some areas more than others, increase the risk of suicide for LGBT. In a recent study through Columbia University, about twenty percent of LGBT teens had attempted suicide in the twelve months prior to the survey, while four percent of heterosexual teens had. This isn't a joke or something that should be brushed aside. Of course, saying something is “so gay” one time seems fairly harmless, but every day, people are directly affected by it, and it needs to come to a stop. The words are not detached from people. When they turn into an intended offense, they can connect people themselves to the negative connotations. The fact that the terms “gay” and “homo” are typically used without the intention of hurting people does not change the fact that they are used deliberately as an insult.

Whether people are aware of it or not, words contain an unexplainable power. They can hurt people as quickly as heal them, if not faster. They can connect ideas, good or bad, to people, and they can easily offend. It is far past time to turn around the habits of our generation and our culture. Common expressions and phrases can exist without harming others, and it is up to us to change our language to something respectful.