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."

[MamaB]

You must not have had a good education if you use that kind of language. It is never permissable. I can truthfully say that I have never heard my mother use words like that and she will be 101 on the 26th. There are plenty of words to use in place of those. I will not be around anyone who uses words like I hear from the teens today and from a few adults when I am in stores. My teacher use to say it just shows your IQ and I think she is right. Bless her heart, she has been dead for many years but I will always remember what she taught us.

[Gabz]

You and I are in complete agreement.

[Zionist Conspirator]

My oldest daughter has experienced this vulgarity when she arrived at a City HS this past fall. Her previous surburban middle school didn't tolerate foul language, but the HS has ignored this problem largely.

I went to public school in the Sixties and Seventies, and right around sixth grade a sinister change began to happen in my classmates. Beginning in seventh grade all the way to high school graduation it was nothing but non-stop vulgarity. I don't think the faculty even cared about it; it was one of those things (like bullying) that was sort of accepted as a "normal" part of growing up. As for me, I hated it. To this day obscene language makes my head spin.

My schools were in a small Southern town. I wish they had had a "no profanity" policy such as you mention. I was treated like a freak because I wouldn't engage in vulgar sex-talk and lost all my friends.

My experience is that adolescents are the foul-mouthest (?) and cruelest people on the face of the earth.

[MamaB]

Neither did I or from any of my friends. My mother will be 101 on the 26th. None of the kids at school used that filth. It was a different time back then. We are about the same age so we must have had similar childhoods and we never watched filth on tv like the kids do today. Well, I hardly ever watched tv because I had rather be reading! I use to love to get a quilt and sit on the porch when it was raining and read.

[politicket]

As long as parents treat their kids' behavior like a car wreck that wasn't their fault, the worse kids will get. My attitude toward such parents is: Hey, you made'em, you train'em.

I agree wholeheartedly. The problem is that these children are spending quite a number of hours each weekday in an environment that is conducive to "falling off the bandwagon". They may be perfect angels at home and little sailors at school. That is why the schools should either implement tight rules regarding speech or the parents should take the responsibility to teach their children at home.

[Responsibility1st]

What needs to be understood here is this is a basic reflection of self-hatred. Clearly those who swear have no respect for themselves and even less for those who have to listen to their profanity. Understand also that cursing (as opposed to blessing) is designed to verbally express thoughts of hate (F--- You), thought of incest (Mother-f-----), thoughts of filth (S--- head), thoughts of sexual perversions (c--- sucker) and so on and so on.

In other words, cuss words are simply expressions of hate speech. And the N - word is no different. I don't care if you're black or white; use of the N - word identifies you as a racist.

So people who watch TV shows or movies with profanity, and then use these cuss words are simply filling up their minds, their thoughts, their actions, their speech, their very lives with hatred.

[durasell]

...the parents should take the responsibility to teach their children at home.

Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

[politicket]

Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

It's happening in large numbers all across the country and growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, we homeschool and plan to do it clear through high school.

[Modernman]

Clearly those who swear have no respect for themselves and even less for those who have to listen to their profanity.

Marine drill sargeants have no self-respect? The President and Vice-President have no self-respect?

In other words, cuss words are simply expressions of hate speech.

Sure, and what is wrong with that?

[durasell]

Curse words have become meaningless in their usage. The use of the N-word is something else. There is a long tradition of all minorities trying to "own" the perjoratives aimed at them. They own them through using them, making them meaningless. Screaming Jay Hawkins did this in music when he used to come on stage dressed like a cannibal. (for bonus points, what was the name of the skull on a stick he carried?)

[durasell]

Home schooling probably isn't the answer. It only postpones the inevitable exposure to pop culture and curse words.

The answer is training the brutes in proper manners and teaching them about popular culture. For the record pop culture is the most widely consumed product by children that parents know nothing about...

[politicket]

(for bonus points, what was the name of the skull on a stick he carried?)

Henry....but I only know this through the technology of Google.

[politicket]

Home schooling probably isn't the answer. It only postpones the inevitable exposure to pop culture and curse words.

Actually, yes it is an answer for tens of thousands of families across our country. Did you read any of the posts from "JenB" earlier in this thread? She was a homeschooled girl and turned out quite well, as a great many homeschoolers do.

[durasell]

Doesn't matter. I'm impressed that google knew it. Boy, Screaming Jay was a good performer. Loved his act.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Henry (who probably died of emphysema).

[Gava]

Try to think of one example of an evil act which isn't instigated by fear. I sure can't...

[HungarianGypsy]

My children and I were on the bus once and had to listen to the F-word over and over from some guy. When I asked him to please stop using that language in front of us he said I could move my a to the front of the bus (there were not enough seats for us). It bothered me that no one else bothered to say anything. The guy's friend even said, "They'll just hear that language in school anyhow."
It was only a few years ago that I could just look at a fellow swearing in front on my baby (who is now 10) and get a quick apology.

[Gabz]

That is why the schools should either implement tight rules regarding speech or the parents should take the responsibility to teach their children at home.

Many districts do just that. our district has a very strict code of behavior, and it is enforced. And while I applaud all homeschoolers, it is not a lack of parental responsibility on the part of those that don't choose to do so.

[Darksheare]

Greed.
Try again.

[durasell]

From what I can tell on these threads, Homeschooling is a crap shoot. The parents may be morons, in which case the kid doesn't stand a chance. I mentioned Piaget to one homeschool proponent and they had no idea what I was talking about.

IMO public schools are pretty much doomed. People have written enough and said enough in regards to their being "beyond repair" that they will soon be beyond repair. At that point education in this country devolves into chaos and one of the last reference points that many people had to their communities (besides church) ceases to matter.