Yeah. It was never like that back when I lived in Portland Oregon. Around here in south east Ohio at my high school, people throw around the word "retard" all the time as if it's an actual mental diagnosis they can give people that they barely know. They say it unironically with no regard for nuance or logic. It's laughably stupid to me. They don't know what the fuck they're talking about. It's like it's just what they've been taught to say. They accept it as part of their sad, pathetic little traditions and rules. It's part of their willful ignorance. They can't just accept human diversity as what it really is. Their worldview and their egos are too fragile. They just wanna say "retard!" and move on without having to think critically or open mindedly. It's pathetic. But also unacceptable and dangerous. That shit is dehumanizing. And I don't mean this just in terms of having a speech impediment. This whole concept of being "mentally retarded" is wrong. They just apply it to anyone who doesn't fit their mold to claim that they are inherently inferior. It's stifling and oppressive. When someone can't conform to their rigid expectations for whatever reason, they're called a retard. They just wanna keep people in line. That's the point. It's part of the system that forces people into hiding, repression, and fear, because no one wants to be called a retard.