Retarded

In a recent issue of The Sun is an illuminating article called “The R Word” by Heather Kirin Lanier. For those who don’t know, the “R” stands for retard or retarded, a word ignorantly used to denote stupidity, often in a “humorous” tone. The author talks about the history of words used to describe what we now call developmentally disabled or challenged people, how each new term becomes a slur in time. When my son was born almost 50 years ago with what I now call a chronic medical condition, doctors told me he had a “birth defect.” Charming. I’m recommending everyone read this piece. Here’s the link.