By Tracy N.

Many decades ago, a person who had learning difficulties, brain abnormalities, or who just didn’t function the way most people do were called "retarded".

I suppose the word came about from the french word, retard, meaning slow, late, or falling behind. At the time, it might have been considered to be the most politically correct way to describe such people. After all, it was much better than "stupid".

As the concept of choosing words to avoid hurting another’s feelings became fashionable, the word retarded became taboo.

"No, no! We must not call them retarded! They are disabled."

And so the public slowly changed their vocabulary to avoid hurting the feelings of the disabled. Children and adults alike were scolded for using the "R" word, and soon, the word nearly vanished from our vocabulary. It wasn’t long before someone decided that disabled wasn’t a

What followed became a part of a giant never ending slippery slope. The disabled were no longer disabled; they were physically or mentally challanged. People of color became black, and then African American. Chicks grew into women, and the blind became visually impaired. Short people began to be known as vertically challanged, janitors were promoted to sanitary engineers, and the slow of learning became special.

And it is far from over.

It seems like the most recent victim of political correctness is political correctness itself. People now shun the idea of choosing one’s words carefully, and living in fear of offending another. Television talkshows are making their fame on the idea of saying what "ought not be said", and people are realizing more and more that stopping someone from saying something doesn’t make them stop thinking it.

Granted, I believe that we should all try to be as considerate as humanly possible; I call it politeness. But as of late, I find myself becoming increasingly uncomfortable having a normal conversation with a classmate or friend.

I’m not a person who is racist or holds many cultural stereotypes. In fact, I consider myself to be a feminist with occassional liberal tendencies. I just find that I overcome obstacles more easily when I’m aware of them, and realize that not all politically incorrect words are meant in a mean spirit.

I think people are beginning to realize this as well, which may explain the sudden political incorrectness of being politically correct. I only wonder if this new taboo is the last of a long series, or if it’s merely a stepping stone to something even worse.