Vulgarity and offensive slurs are now frequent in casual conversation.

We are surrounded by malicious prejudice against every possible person. We have adapted it into our subconscious and our language. Many will argue that this sort of hateful language is endearing, and it doesn’t make them a racist, sexist, classist or what-have-you. For instance, the N-word has been thrown around so casually that we find it acceptable to use it ourselves. Lil’ Wayne uses it in his songs unnecessarily too often, so it’s totally okay if we do it, right? Nothing against the Lil’ Wayne lovers, but it seems that he is contributing to the problem. But this isn’t just his fault. There isn’t one person to blame for this behavior—it turns out the majority are guilty. No one should be uttering these kinds of words. But we watch and listen to these offensive slurs without a second thought. We have become desensitized to hateful language.

There may be times when you hear phrases like, “That was so gay,” and usually the reaction is laughing. When this happens, we must think about what exactly was said and question: “Why is someone’s sexuality seen as synonymous to stupid?” This is what troubles me.

Our desensitization blinds us to the existence and prominence of racism, sexism and classism. Once we acknowledge this, we have the opportunity to realize that none of those are myths nor have they been overcome. When someone says, “That’s just how the world is,” they are unable to see their privilege and the lack of others.

There are some who have realized the magnitude of this hate and are taking action to prevent it. As of March this year, the National Football League adopted a rule that players will be penalized 15 yards if they use the N-word on the field. The organization wants this offensive racial slur to be eliminated. Once these players see the consequences for using the word on the field, they might discontinue it off the field.

Although this doesn’t cover everyone who has participated in expressing these negative thoughts and slurs, it’s a start. If we keep progressing, the media might not reflect this hateful culture as much. This is one solution.

There are some who think a second solution is to ignore the part of a person that is being attacked. For example, saying something along the lines of, “I don’t think of you as black” might sound positive since they’re aiming for neutrality, but the bottom line of a statement like that is to say that being black (or anything seen as a minority) is less than human. This is a step back. Don’t ignore the attributes that make up a person. Culture and heritage shouldn’t be ignored.

I have met so many people who use offensive slurs, unknowingly or not. Do they know what they are saying? Sometimes we don’t know until we contemplate it later. This shows the gradual process of eliminating desensitization to hateful language. All it takes is thinking before speaking.