To Cuss or Not to Cuss

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http://tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com/tallskinnykiwi/2007/06/offensive_langu.html

I can't remember how I got to this... I think I clicked on a blog within a blog and then... well... found myself here. It's an interesting argument/ debate in any event. I know that in some ways it is absolutely the right thing to do to modify one's language so as not to offend unnecessarily. What's the point of that?

Fred Phelps with his "God hates fags" signs are a little... hateful. But do you know what? I think he ought to be able to say what he's going to say although I find it distasteful. I think anyone screaming and protesting at someone's FUNERAL is showing a lot about themselves. Please, though, it would be nice if the media would stop paying *so* much attention to him because he thrives on that. If the advertisers were pressured on that, it would happen. I'm going to be a mean cynic and say the "gay community" WANTS him out there. Because if they really wanted to, they could pressure the advertisers to get this guy off the air. It's just awfully convenient for them to have Fred Phelps and then say, "SEE? The Christian Church is an agent of intolerance and hate! Waah!"

Anyway, once Patrick got into trouble for talking about hell in the third grade. It was right after the 9/11 attacks and he had drawn Osama bin Laden with a nuclear bomb on his back, and said something about Muslims will go to hell. You can't say HELL in elementary school. Um, I made it very clear to him and everyone else that he can say HELL any time he wants, multiple times a day, so long as he is not using it as a cuss word or interrupting class. He also (before I knew about this) had to write a "think sheet" for this. We need to be nice to our Muslim "friends" and sing the song of acceptance, love and tolerance together. La la la laaa... Plus that whole "drawing weapons at school" thing makes educators very nervous. I mean, this little straight-A student who hasn't been to the principal for anything else (well, except the "fat girl" incident) and hasn't shown any propensity to violence is a real threat because he would like the enemies of America punished.

On a different topic, the Emperor had a child named "Jihad" in his preschool class. That kid is NOT coming over to play. I think maybe we should all start naming our kids "Crusader" and see which one gets his butt kicked on the playground.

Oh, that wasn't nice of me... How did I stray this far from the topic??

Anyway, the article basically said that older people are more upset about "cuss words" that focus on bodily functions and sex, and younger people are more upset about "cuss words" that are exclusionary, racist or whatever. Interesting argument though I'm not sure I agree with that assessment.