Language matters, part... where's the sideways 8?

I try to be a sensitive person. I do. Sometimes I refuse to give a shit about feelings (like say, the feelings of people who are bent on being intolerant, mean, or in the case of conservatives, both), but I try not to be a douchebag.

I have two disabled kids, so I try not to use words like 'retarded' or other ablist words like that. However, I am having a hard time not using, or even understanding the reasoning behind not calling people like Glenn Beck "crazy", "deranged", "lunatic", etc.

See, ranting and raving, being irrational, illogical and paranoid all seem to be indications of a pathology. Calling Beck crazy doesn't mean that all psychologically ill people are like him. Nor does it necessarily mean that he isn't responsible for his actions. I dunno, he might not, but he probably does.

Getting upset that people are calling him deranged/crazy/insane/psycho/etc because you are also mentally ill is ludicrous. It's like me getting mad that people call Ann Coulter a woman. She presents as a woman. And although people insist that she's not, she sure looks that way to me. Does it tar me with the same brush? No, I don't think so.

So, no, I won't call Beck crazy (etc.) on the forum where this all blew up, because it's clear that it hurts some people's feelings, and I can just call him an asshole instead. But really, I think some people are a little oversensitive on this one.

Standard comment: I'm open to other arguments or having the error of my ways pointed out.