John McGinley, the father of a child with Down Syndrome, on why using the "r-word" is wrong: "Verbally assaulting those who have done absolutely nothing wrong and cannot even begin to defend themselves, is an exponentially more egregious transgression" than using slurs against people who could, say, punch you right in the piehole for being a bigot. "Only bullies and cowards pick on the defenseless," he writes. I'm in: I've used it before many times, but won't again. (via John Cusack)