No Fooling

My erstwhile employer had meetings repeatedly
Telling us not to use insults like “lame”
Or “stupid” or “crazy,” which used to be clinical
Terms till they took connotations of shame.

I knew that more recently downgraded terms
Like “retarded” were apt to offend a whole lot,
But few can remember when “moron” turned up
In a shrink’s diagnosis, or so I’d have thought.

It bugged me to realize that less problematic
Such words aren’t among what we commonly say.
I seldom hear “nitwit” or “loon” in our parlance.
There’s even resurgence of slurs like “so gay.”

Of course, in an office, I’d call it a moot point:
All insults are most unprofessional there.
Our culture’s grown coarse, so let’s bring back some manners
And treat every insult the same as a swear.