900*

Another athlete used the word "gay" to refer to something recently. Another actor referred to something as "retarded" recently. Both of them had to publicly apologize for doing so. There is talk of rehab. At some point, I'd like someone in the 35+ age range who is "caught" saying one of these words to respond with something like:

"Yes, I used the term 'gay'/'retarded' in reference to something I didn't care for. When I was growing up, these terms were used as mild pejoratives and it has been ingrained in me for many years. While I apologize for those who are now offended by those words, it is tough for this old dog to learn this new trick. Language has changed a lot since the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, when political correctness was non-existent or in its infancy and people were free to use more language more colorfully. Because of this, I may slip up and use them, or other words that have since become passe or offensive, again. It is hard to overcome what you learn as a child and what you have said for most of a lifetime."

I would have so much more respect for someone who said this than I do for all the celebu-tards who "go to rehab" for how they speak. I have asked a couple of my gay friends who are in the same general age-range of 35+ if they are offended by the word gay used pejoratively. Those who had an opinion at all were mostly okay with it, as they were raised in the same social environment. Of course, they had a preference for it not being used, but they understand that it was common then and is only now being phased out.

Retarded is much the same. The PC word police have deemed this word as socially unacceptable now, but refuse to allow that many of us were raised in a time when it was okay, and that it may be ingrained. It takes more than them saying it is a bad word for us to stop using it -- that's what ingrained means, after all.

Language grows, changes, and mutates every year. Rules for grammar I learned in grade school have changed today. Words I learned and used as a child are now considered unacceptable. Things I was taught were unacceptable are now commonplace (like taking a phone call during any meal, speaking about private things in public, etc.). Things change and it is difficult, after a lifetime of doing it one way, to change with it. It is time we stop vilifying people for what they say and instead put things in context and judge them on their whole person. We might just find we don't mind certain words any more if we do.

* = This is my 900th post on this blog. It is somewhat hard to believe both how long I've been doing this and how many posts I've made. Now for 1,000! Note: I just looked up the date on my 800th post, and it was -- today, February 3, 2011. Interesting.