In our final installment in our week long Spread the Word to End the Word campaign, senior and Sentry Sports Editor Andy Belilos shares his thoughts on the use of the r-word. Thank you all for reading these reflections!

As a civilized society, we have a responsibility to future generations to end the casual use of one of the most hurtful words in existence.

When I hear someone say the word “retarded” in casual conversation, it hurts. It only hurts more when it is said by someone whom I know and respect. This is the greatest crime: the use of the r-word has become commonplace.

The r-word used to be a medical term used to label people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs). When people started to use it with a negative connotation, the very meaning of the word changed and it became more than a label. It became an insult.

Let me tell you something: when you use the r-word to describe your friend doing something stupid, you don’t just insult your friend. You insult everyone who has ever lived with an IDD, or loved someone with an IDD.

My friends with IDDs are not stupid, so why portray them as such with a hateful word? My friends are creative, kind and loving. They are not defined by your words.

Most people who use the r-word casually are not hateful people. When I ask people to use a different word, they are often ashamed. Yes, I know it is easy to have it slip into your conversation. However, it is just as easy to not use it. The English language is a wonderful thing; there are plenty of alternatives to the r-word that do not demean people. I suggest you use one of them.