I don't know if any of you have this struggle, but I seem to have it more now then ever in my life. "Retard/Retarded". Since Hunter was born and I became an advocate for Down syndrome it really has become one of my new struggles trying to educate people on the use of this word. I try not to be a word police, but when someone uses this word inappropriately, I have to speak up. Even before Hunter was born, I hated hearing people use the term derogatorily. Now, because of Hunter, I speak up. It's not that I feel I need to protect him, even if inadvertently I am. I just feel that there are other choices for this word that can and should be used instead. For me, the biggest challenge I have is trying to get one of my family members to stop using it. For this member, it is so ingrained into her, such a bad habit, that she doesn't even realize she is saying it. IE "He's such a retard" or "I am so retarded". There is nothing cool about it, and it is purely offensive. I have told her this time and time again, and every time she says it, I speak up and tell her not to. When I do, she apologizes profusely, but it doesn't seem to stick! Short of telling her, if she can't stop using the word I will have to stop talking to her - kind of hard though it's my mother in law.... Oh boy. She is one of my largest supporters for all that I do for Hunter, so you would think this an easy "slam dunk". But as I say, old habits are hard to break. It's easy to me, the right words are Mentally Challenged, or Developmental Delay.
Has this been an issue for any of you? And what do you do about it when it happens?