Despite the United States law that allows freedom of speech, debate still going on when using words that others find offensive. In an article I read by Patricia E. Bauer, she explains that the word retard or retarded should be banned in media and should not be said among individuals in daily conversations. Bauer has a daughter with down syndrome, which is an intellectual disability. What sparked her to write a lengthy blog post was when she and her daughter overheard someone using the word retard at the movies. And like many people who take offense to that word, she cringed. I do agree that she has every right to be offended by the use or exploitation of the word retard or any other derogatory word. But do I think it should be banned. No.…show more content… My solution to the problem is to think before acting and know the reaction you will get out of using such words. I believe that you can’t make someone not say something degrading (as long as there’s not threat) but express to them you're offended by the word they said. I do identify with Bauer’s daughter Margaret because I have a disability (though not quite as severe as hers). I have Asperger’s syndrome, which is under the autism umbrella and because of that I feel the duty to not say the word in any shape or form. However at my former special education high school, the word retard was quite popular coming out kids’ mouths. If they were to insult someone, instead of saying stupid they would say “BOCES retard.” I do remember one time, my teacher shutting one of the kids down given her brother was mentally retarded. But derogatory words can originate from other groups and cultures such as the LGBT or African-American community. However as time passes, some taboo words have new meanings. For example, the word nigger was once used by Caucasian people to degrade African-Americans. Flash forward to the late 20th century, nigger was shortened to nigga and it’s used a term of endearment or even a slang for buddy. However, if you’re a white person, you definitely will receive backlash for using the word period. For that word, I have no problem