Political Correctness, Is It Retarded?

Why is it okay for smart people to call other people or things retarded?  This is not at all acceptable.  It is not okay.  We have all gotten the memo and see the ads that we cannot refer to anyone using a negative reference to their sex, religion, race, age and ideally physical appearance, but all things are not considered by all people.

Is it okay to say that something is retarded to a total stranger without knowing if they have a retarded friend or family member?  This fun little word can be as hurtful as some of the other very inappropriate words that we use or have used in the past to refer to things and people.

If you do  not like an individual, an object or even someone's actions, that is okay.  They may not like you or yours either.  We are all different for a reason.  But please, don't just grab the first word that comes to mind if it could potentially hurt someone else.  Think before you speak.

I wonder, are mentally retarded people calling things retarded these days just because everyone else is?  Probably not.