I have gone to high school for almost four years now. And while I have heard many slang terms, ranging in offensiveness from a slight eyebrow raise to a flat-out dropped jaw, the most offensive term I have ever heard is also one that is inescapable in the halls of South High.

“Dude, that’s retarded.”

In response I usually say something to the effect of, “no it’s not” or “hey now”.

I don’t usually tell people that my sister has Down syndrome. In my opinion, it shouldn’t matter. If you change your language because of that then you’re changing your language because you don’t want to hurt my feelings, not because you actually care about the thousands of people who have a reason to feel incredibly hurt and offended by the word you’ve chosen to use.

For this reason I had my trepidations about writing this opinion. But there is a movement going on that South cannot ignore. So I am writing this to you, whoever is reading this, in an attempt to make you think about all the ways in which this one word is the most disrespectful, immature, outdated thing you can possibly say.

Retard or retarded is not a scientific term. Perhaps it used to be when all people with any sort of mental/developmental disability were lumped into one category by doctors and scientists who didn’t understand each individual with a disability, and didn’t attempt to. It was a scientific term when it was assumed that if you had any sort of mental/developmental disability you should live away from your family (so as not to burden them) and away from society (so as not to bother them). This incredibly long cycle of dehumanization stems from the basic idea that people with disabilities are not fully human.

Now, just as with many human rights issues we see the world differently. Calling someone retarded, “in the scientific sense” takes away their sense of identity.

Finally it seems like people are starting to notice. In October 2010 President Obama made bill S. 2781 federal law. The law removes the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” from federal health, labor, and education policy, replacing them with “individual with an intellectual disability” and “intellectual disability.” Ever since then states have been following suit. On March 13 2012 Wisconsin passed Wisconsin’s People First Law unanimously, becoming the latest state to change its legislative language.

The main difference with these terminologies is the way in which they put the word, “individual” first. By putting the person first, you are acknowledging that every person is unique and has other attributes that make them who they are besides their disability. Every human being wants to be seen this way, and in order to do this we can’t just stop at policy language.

I acknoledge that, “in the scientific sense” is not the way in which most high school-ers employ the r-word. It doesn’t matter what or whom you are referring to when you use the r- word, the effect is still the same.

In recent years the media, once the biggest perpetrator of spreading the r-word in this way, has begun to use its powers over America’s opinions and culture for good. One example is the popular TV series, Glee, which added two characters with Down Syndrome to the series during its first season. One of the actresses, Lauren Potter, appeared in a PSA with Jane Lynch to spread awareness about the hurtfulness of the word.

A recent Good Morning America segment brought attention to the campaign, “Spread the word to end the word.” The campaign seeks to raise awareness about the hurtfulness of the r-word and ultimately end its use in our society by sponsoring rallies and collecting video-pledges not to use the r-word from celebrities like Joe Jonas and Will Ferrell.

A Target ad featuring a child with Down Syndrome has recently gotten a lot of attention for “[including] someone with a disability without making a big deal about it.” in the words of Edward Lovett in his article for ABC news.

This quote illustrates perhaps one of the biggest issues our society deals with in terms of people with disabilities. It is sometimes hard to talk about disabilities and thus few people understand them.

I have grown up with a sister with a disability. For me, talking about disabilities and the issues surrounding them is normal. But for others I understand that there may be a sense of uncomfortableness which leads to ignorance.

However with the strides the media is making paired with the success of campaigns run by “Spread the Word” this is a topic that is becoming prevalent.

South cannot ignore this movement. As a school which claims to be accepting and progressive, South students need to stop using the r-word.

Arguments I have heard in defense of the r-word range from apathy to perceived protection of freedom of speech.

Some people will argue that it’s ingrained in their language. It’s like the words “like” and “swag” and now that it’s there it can’t possibly be removed. This is laziness and apathy, you don’t want to try and remove it from your lexicon and you don’t want to think about why you should.

Others argue that it’s a matter of freedom of speech. Just because you are lucky enough to live in a country where you have the right to use every word in the English language and any other language for that matter doesn’t mean you get to dismiss human compassion and maturity.

Yes, you are an American, but you are also a human.

Nonetheless, I agree that it is your choice. I am merely attempting to make you think about the multitude of feelings behind this one little two-syllable word.

The minute I hear the r-word come out of anyone’s mouth I immediately lose respect for them. It is respect that is hard to win back. By calling anyone or anything the r-word, you are recalling a hurtful time in history when people with disabilities were severely dehumanized. You are singling out anyone with a mental/developmental disability as different, apart, and ultimately, worse. It is outdated derogatory, and when I hear someone use it I feel like I’m getting punched in the stomach.

And if you continue to use it, know that it is my belief that you will soon become part of an antiquated minority.

South should work to make those who use the r-word a minority, not continue to be a part of it. The first way to do this is to remove the r-word, and any other word that serves to continue the same cycle of hurt, from your vocabulary.