I am stating an opinion that I stand behind. I was referencing your "dick" comment. I've long passed the point that I just laugh at insults.

Stupid, idiot, and crazy are all now far enough removed from their original definitions that they're acceptable to use as insults

Where do you think retard will be ten years down the line?

And you do realize people only use the word stupid to describe when someone is being stupid. It is the exact same workings and systems as the word retarded. You didn't call me stupid there either.

Of course people won't be as offended, but they would still be offended.

The goal is not to avoid people being offended, it is to avoid insulting and portraying a group of people as inferior.

The use of retard does not do such a thing due to previous terminology existing, and due to the fact that nobody is or has ever used the term to refer to those who are retarded as inferior or deserving-bad-treatment.

Yes, it does consider people being retarded as people who do stupid things. However, isn't that the definition of being retarded? It's like the term "throw like a girl" being said to a guy. Or "you look like a man" being said to a girl. Saying "Are you retarded" or calling someone a retard when they aren't is an insult, where-as calling someone who is is simply describing their status, no ill-offense is meant in doing so.

Nobody who uses the word retarded to describe or insult another does so because they dislike retarded people. They use it because being called retarded is insulting for those who are not.

Using the word negro to insult a person is to say "if you were more like a black person you would be a worse person". There is definite insult to be derived from that. More importantly, people who would use the word in that way would also probably be fine with using it for actual black people. If you were to call a black person a negro, I doubt many would really take offense. The word doesn't have that inherent "slur" to it that the word nigger does. It makes you sound like you are 60 and out of touch, but doesn't imply dislike or hatred. If you used it to describe people acing badly, however, it would.