Oh.My.Goddess. I feel so chastised — I’ve always called them wetbacks.

Sadly, her hissy fit simply made the true meaning of Emanuels’ actions get lost in translation — as you put it, Matt — the real story should be that he is doing everything he can to keep the real progressives from accomplishing anything in this nation and I find that just as reprehensible as Palin’s behavior.

I think that people who object to the word because it “insults people with intellectual disabilities” have it ass-backwards. It IS offensive to call someone with intellectual disabilities “retarded.” As naphini points out, it’s not like taking a word and making it mean something offensive (like gay). What’s wrong is taking an insulting word and applying it to an undeserving group of people. On the other hand, applying it to people who deserve the insult is, well, just proper usage. So I hereby promise never to call a person with intellectual disabilities “retarded.” Sarah Palin, I will call retarded every day of the week.

And as for the side conversation about the C word, I think we women can be a little hypocritical on the subject. We recoil from the word in horror — it’s so sexist and abusive and evil! — but we’ve got no problems calling a guy a prick when it’s appropriate. I reserve the right to use either word when the situation (or person) calls for it.

Mental Retardation is still used in medical charts and as a diagnosis.

I guess in response to Matt Taibbi’s question of where we draw the line, its really a matter of maturity don’t you think?

Maybe you could try out these words on friends and family and see how they react (if you can’t determine with a logical and intelligent brain when you should or shouldn’t use them).

I had a long “discussion” with a guy last summer about the c*nt word. He basically was saying the same thing as you did. He didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong in it. So, I told him next time he sees his daughter, give her a hug and say something like “how are you sweet c*nt?” Maybe his daughter will be understanding or maybe not even notice.

If you ever notice, most the words that are most offensive have connotations of Power over another. The word N*gger (and I’m using asterisk so the computer will take the comment) referred to a person with no power politically, economically, and who had subservient status. Women have been been consistently called by the derogatory sexual names.

The whole point is WORDS have power and they have impact. Maybe YOU don’t understand why someone might feel calling someone a retard is bad, but its a slur on all those people that are born with a disability that they did not ask for. To be quite honest the developmentally disabled are some of the most loving, sweet, innocent people on earth. They are also the most abused group in all ways. So, a grown MAN like Rahm should no better. He’s not a child. He needs to grow up and act like a man. Nobody should even have to say this to an adult. Also, the guy is sitting in the White House, in a position of power.

As the U.S. government slides into an abyss of corruption, darkness, and immoral conduct, SO TOO the citizens go. The American people are becoming as evil, degraded and immoral as their government. Words may only be words, but there never was any truth in that old saying “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me”. Not true. Words can be violent, they can be degrading, they can cause awful things.

When individuals can no longer tell how to address one another, which is just another symptom of the total decline in value for other humans, then it really isn’t so surprising that such a nation can feel nothing or care nothing about those it slaughters over seas.

Its really an insane society. I look forward to leaving next year. There just really is no other society so degraded as the U.S.

The