OK, the first paragraph I actually meant. To me, it's a relaxing of ideals to use that word, or any other word like it. Geoff mentioned the "N" word and how it's all a matter of context. To me, using it in any context defeats the battles that people fought so that the word became unacceptable in general society. Do you know what I mean? Their use diminishes the strides that were made by those before us. There were days when it was commonplace to refer to others in a demeaning way - whether you used the N word, the C word, "the little woman", no matter.

We have fought many fights so that we are hopefully ALL perceived as human FIRST, and then by race, gender or creed. To use those words takes us backwards.

That's my feeling, at least. Maybe I'm in the minority, but that's what I feel.