More and More, Kids say the Foulest Things (swearing)

The Washington Post ^ | 04/12/04 | Valerie Strauss

[crv16]

Dan Horwich's English class is a bastion of clean language, where students read the classics and have weighty discussions free of invective and profanity. But when the bell rings and they walk out his door, the hallway vibrates with talk of a different sort.

"The kids swear almost incessantly," said Horwich, who teaches at Guildford High School in Rockford, Ill. "They are so used to swearing and hearing it at home, and in the movies, and on TV, and in the music they listen to that they have become desensitized to it."

[politicket]

In my experience, kids usually learn or first hear cuss words on TV or in movies (viewed at home), then they "try them out" with their friends at school or hanging out.

For some kids that may be true. But the vast majority of the children are infected from that kid going to school and "exercising" the word without fear of punishment.

[Oberon]

Good! The notion of being shocked, SHOCKED by people using dirty words is just tragically sad.

Another fine product of the public school systems checks in...

[Gabz]

How tagic for that child.

But the reaction of the other children, coupled with the story of her family life lends credence to my theory of parental fault for a child's language or lack of.

[Gabz]

Watch out. Lifebuoy causes blindness.

I thought that was caused by.........oh nevermind.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Cultural Entropy on display.

"But there's no harm in that! Nothing wrong with a little swearing! It doesn't weaken or coarsen our society!"

Little girls cussing like sailors. Sheesh. "You've come a long way, baby."

[Bella_Bru]

Because we all know that the king's English is the only language G-d listens to.

[politicket]

Swear words, used to highlight a point, are used by the drill sargeant to make it abundantly clear that a certain mistake made in training can be lethal on the battlefield. Using clean language would not have the same effect.

You need to get better at your debating skills. You started out with a false supposition. There is no proveable correlation between foul language by a drill instructor and deaths on the battle field.

Nice try though...

[Choose Ye This Day]

They are more formal, less colloquial. If anything, they help me remember to whom I am speaking, which I find helpful.

[Modernman]

You need to get better at your debating skills. You started out with a false supposition. There is no proveable correlation between foul language by a drill instructor and deaths on the battle field.

No, but there is certainly a proveable correlation between a drill sargeant being able to show rage at a recruit's failings and that recruit not making the same mistake again. What do you think is more effective on a 19 year old recruit, an enraged drill sargeant calling them every name in the book or someone who doesn't say anything worse than "darn?"

Or do you think drill sargeants don't know what they're doing? If there was a more effective way to train recruits that did not involve foul language, wouldn't they use it?

Similarly, in a heated business negotation, some businessmen like to play the "heavy" or act like the bad cop. Swearing is a useful tool in such situations.

Foul language has its place in certain situations. The President himself uses it, from what I hear. As with so many things, it's all a matter of context.

I thought Dick Cheney telling Senator Leahy to engage in a physically impossible act was the perfect thing to do in that situation.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I thought that was caused by.........oh nevermind.

Careful...or we'll have to wash your mouth out with soap.

[Big Digger]

This has nothing to do with race,

Surely there are some racial influences at work here, or are we to ignore the glorification of black street talk and gangsta rap in the Rap recording industry, and act as if this trash is not marketed to young people of all races as the last word in hip and cool?

[texan75010]

>If there was a more effective way to train recruits that did not involve foul language, wouldn't they use it?<


Sure, the govornment ALWAYS uses the most efficient and effective way to do things.

[Gava]

My high school english class was the opposite. We used foul language in our writings and short plays. When we left the classroom it was all clean language. We had no interest in using powerful words colloquially.

[Choose Ye This Day]

I will agree to a point. Profanity can be acceptable and even useful...in certain contexts...when used rarely (the infrequency adds even more power when an expletive is uttered)...by men (NOT girls or women).

[Gabz]

The liquid soap works best!!!

[politicket]

Surely there are some racial influences at work here, or are we to ignore the glorification of black street talk and gangsta rap in the Rap recording industry, and act as if this trash is not marketed to young people of all races as the last word in hip and cool?

Foul language was around long before gangsta' rap. The difference in today's society is that children have no qualms about letting loose around adults, knowing that they have no fear of reprisal.

Has rap been a horrible, debilating influence on our society? Yes...

Is the downturn due only to rap? No...

[LanPB01]

I'd like to go on record as stating foul language coming from a woman's mouth is one of my biggest turn offs. Unless we're alone in the bedroom, where it magically transforms into one of my biggest turn ons.

[politicket]

My high school english class was the opposite. We used foul language in our writings and short plays. When we left the classroom it was all clean language. We had no interest in using powerful words colloquially.

Boy, I'm getting deja vu from yesterday when all of the atheists began showing up on the threads I was posting to.

[Gabz]

And who's fault is it that children have no fear of adult reprisal for use of foul language? The adults.

Earlier in the thread someone mentioned a teenager in a checkoutline using foul language....had I been in the line and heard it the youngster would have heard something from me - and not foul language. Why are adults so afraid of demanding respect?

[Choose Ye This Day]

Ewww.

Too much information.