I'm sorry, but if you don't see using the word retard as offensive, and think that I've used terms of a similar note, you are out of your ever loving mind. As someone who not only has people in my family who has special needs, but has spent the greater part of the last decade working WITH people who are called 'retarded' by adults and kids, and hear people say "Oh, that's retarded" or "you big tard", I take great offense when someone uses the term to be derogative towards someone who they don't agree with, or use it to demean someones different opinion/beliefs/etc. If you're still in your mid 30's and you refer to another adult as a "lib-tard' or a "tard' or a 'retard' or any sort of derivation of that phrase, you need to grow up and realize you're not 14. And if your best response is "kettle... etc, etc." you might need to also.
If I offended someone and they pointed it out I don't act like a child and say 'oh yeah? well you're a doody head!" I man up and apologize. In fact, a while ago PapaG and I had an issue and he pointed out something to me via PMs, and what did I do? I apologized to him and said i was in the wrong. I didnt go "well jeesh, you should grow up. Everyone gets offended". Sometimes in your life you have to realize that admitting you were wrong, or shouldn't have said something, doesn't make you less of a man or a person. God forbid you act like you're 35 when you're 35, instead of acting like you're some gangsta hip person who wouldn't dare say that to someone who actually had a developmental problem. If you can't defend what you say on here, don't say it. And if in your life you say "tard" around people with special needs...well, I feel incredibly sorry for you. It takes a big man to call someone a retard.
yeah, like I said. I can say that calling someone a ****** doesn't actually refer to black people, but lazy, or dumb or hopeless people. Doesn't make it ok to say it.
If your worst snide remark is to call me someone who treated people with respect, dignity and is regarded by most people as one of the most genuine people to live, well I take that as a compliment. Thanks.