So Rahm Emanuel referred to a bunch of Democrats as "fucking retards" and now there is a big debate about the word retarded. It seems to me that whatever the change the word to, it will eventually become a slur. Didn't this happen with moron and idiot, which both started out as clinical terms (moron meaning mildly retarded, and idiot meaning extremely retarded).

Now, striking out at Rahm Emanuel for using the term as an epithet seems valid to me. I do this whenever someone describes something foolish as "hokey" because I consider it a slight to my beloved Hokies. It is a valiant, albeit challenging, effort to reclaim the medical roots of the term.

But trying to wipe the so-called "R-word" from the public lexicon seems extreme which is what they are now doing. Personally I don't like political correctness and would prefer to call a spade a spade. Calling someone who is retarded.. retarded should not be a crime.

But then I noted the shift way back in 2003:

I don't watch a lot of VH1, but they were doing these 1980s Strikes Back specials, so I turned off the v-chip and tuned in. During the course of the program, VH1 is interviewing several celebrities about their take on the 80s. Naturally when dealing with celebs and 1980s pop culture, there is some swearing and nudity, which VH1 bleeps over or censors for regular TV. But, I could not help but notice that they bleeped over the word "retarded". To put it in context, an actress was discussing the TV show LA Law, and she commented that her favorite character "was the retarded man".

If the character was indeed retarded, they shouldn't bleep someone for referring to him as such. Doing so seems.... retarded.