The English Language Was Not Designed As a Mine Field

In a mine field you have to be very careful where you walk lest you find yourself blown up.  The English language is being turned into a mine field by hypersensitivity and political correctness:

First, Jennifer Aniston was under fire for saying that it's OK for women to get pregnant with a "turkey baster." Now, she's said a word that even little kids know not to use.

On Thursday's live episode of "Live with Regis and Kelly," Aniston used the word "retard" to make fun of herself.

While discussing a photo shoot in which Aniston dressed up like Barbra Streisand, Aniston said, "Yes, I play dress up. I do it for a living, like a retard."

Advocacy groups hopped on the incident right away. The Special Olympics released a statement saying, "[We are] always disappointed when the R-word is used, especially by someone who is influential to society... the R-word, even in an off-the-cuff self-deprecating manner, dehumanizes people with intellectual disabilities and perpetuates painful stereotypes."

Oh grow up. What Aniston said, and especially the fact that she was referring to herself, was not offensive to anyone but a few people who have chosen to make the word "retard" as offensive in their minds as the "N-word" (ask Dr. Laura what happens to white people who use that word).  The fact is "retarded" is not a slur but an appropriate definition for some people whose mental faculties did not develop in what we would consider a "normal" fashion (and given what Democrats think these days, who knows what "normal" means anymore).

We're losing the language because of stupid stuff (my apologies to stupid people who make take offense).