[eddie willers]

I KNOW what the technical definition of the word is but lets get real-You don't stigmatize a child with the "bastard"brush because of something his parents did-or DIDN'T do.

It is the WORD.

If you call a female dog a bitch you are using the WORD correctly....not demeaning the dog.

[Riverman94610]

Yeah,but calling a dog a bitch won't have her attacking you.
Try standing in front of a class at a ghetto school and saying,"hello,you little bastards"and then try to explain to them why bastard is just a word and not derogatory at all.