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More and More, Kids say the Foulest Things (swearing)
The Washington Post ^
| 04/12/04
| Valerie Strauss
Posted on 04/12/2005 10:06:43 AM PDT by crv16
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To: durasell
> Are they best expressed in four lette words as well?
Generally, no. Expletives are typically most effective I find when used to either denote some unpleasantness... or as a modifier to denote "powerfully emotionally affective and shocking extreme."
I *dare* anyone to come to Utah in June, camp out near Thiokol, and watch the planned RSRM static test and *not* use words akin to those I used: "Holy Shi..."
But for negative situations, nothing sums things up quite as succinctly as a simple four-letter muttering - or yell. Imagine Kerry had won the election. What, no expletives? Be honest...
281
posted on
04/12/2005 4:48:42 PM PDT
by
orionblamblam
("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
To: beezdotcom
> You argue that NOT cussing HIDES your true feelings - I argue that it DISPLAYS self-control
Being entirely self-controlled is not a positive, in my book. If someone is P.O.ed at me, I want to know about it.
282
posted on
04/12/2005 4:50:24 PM PDT
by
orionblamblam
("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
To: Gabz
> Both my husband and I are baby boomers.
So it's YOUR fault...
283
posted on
04/12/2005 4:51:18 PM PDT
by
orionblamblam
("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
To: orionblamblam
In Victorian times, polite people would never refer to a dress with mud on it as "dirty," but as "soiled." Dirt was derived from the Norse "drit," which meant excrement. As it became an English word, it maintained a strong negative connotation. That connotation is now largely gone, and one can say "dirt" in polite company.
I'm always fascinated by the language they used, I'm a big fan of the Victorian Era and there is a romantic side of me that longs to live in those days (or the old West maybe), even though they had their share of BS back then like we do now). Digressing, I like to read literature from that time and I got a big kick out of how they used the term "soiled dove" to mean a protitute. I do admit when you said that term, it does bring about negative images, but it sounds a lot better than using the word "hoe."
284
posted on
04/12/2005 4:54:46 PM PDT
by
Nowhere Man
(Lutheran, Conservative, Neo-Victorian/Edwardian - Any Questions?)
To: orionblamblam
285
posted on
04/12/2005 4:57:05 PM PDT
by
Gabz
(John Paul II, pray for us.)
To: orionblamblam
Incorrect. Dirty words are just words, with more emotional connotation. Granted, some people don;t know how to utter a sentence without using them; this is not a sign of moral decaly but, as you suggest, a sign that they are not well educated. However, certain words and phrases are STAGGERINGLY effective at getting across emotional responses. Consider a few days ago, when I found I need to go in for surgery that will leave me scarred and in agony. I'm sorry, but "gosh" and "darn" just didn't cut it. Something a bit more colorful was called for.
Well, you could always have used "gee-willickers!" B-D
Seriously, you're in my prayers with your upcoming surgery.
Getting back to the subject at hand, I'm controlling my swearing more but I admit there are times I slip, like when the hood of a truck conks me in the head. I must admit one pass I give to all of this is to the movie "Smokey and the Bandit." Jackie Gleason's swearing as Sherriff Buford T. Justice was funny as heck, it just ain't the same when they edit it out.
286
posted on
04/12/2005 5:03:49 PM PDT
by
Nowhere Man
(Lutheran, Conservative, Neo-Victorian/Edwardian - Any Questions?)
To: Gava
What, you don't like my answers?
287
posted on
04/12/2005 5:04:33 PM PDT
by
Darksheare
(#####This tagline has been viciously run down to prevent it's escape. It has tire marks on it. #####)
To: JenB
"....but they just don't see the problem." This is the key. Without a moral compass, people are free to do what feels good. The tolerance movement has brought our society to a place in which it is wrong to criticize others for their behaviors, no matter how vile and disrespectful.
288
posted on
04/12/2005 5:07:35 PM PDT
by
SaveTheChief
(Oskee Wow Wow Illinois)
To: orionblamblam
Being entirely self-controlled is not a positive, in my book. If someone is P.O.ed at me, I want to know about it.
I can let you know I'm angry at you, without losing control. However, if you can only gauge the level of someone's anger by how much they cuss, then you might have Asperger Syndrome - seek help.
P.S. - Since I didn't use four-letter words, you might not understand that my last sentence was sarcasm.
289
posted on
04/12/2005 5:11:07 PM PDT
by
beezdotcom
(I'm usually either right or wrong...)
To: orionblamblam
The surgeries were in the past. They were necessary, but not necessarily pleasant, but I didn't expect them to be. It isn't that the expletives are not an outlet for me. They just don't do any real good in the long run for anyone. Angry outbursts have never solved any problem. But there is more perfect "outlet" for all that frustration! And it gives a peace that one just can't understand. :)
290
posted on
04/12/2005 6:19:37 PM PDT
by
lupie
To: lupie
> Angry outbursts have never solved any problem.
You might want to reconsider that opinion.
> But there is more perfect "outlet" for all that frustration! And it gives a peace that one just can't understand. :)
Yes, good old 12-gauge and .45. Blowing holes in things is a hell of a stress reliever.
291
posted on
04/12/2005 7:56:43 PM PDT
by
orionblamblam
("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
To: Darksheare
fear of impotence perhaps?
292
posted on
04/12/2005 8:15:20 PM PDT
by
Gava
To: Darksheare
In the case of greed and extortion you can say that the fear of not feeling good or fear of neglect is the motivation.
Depression:
Greedy hog: I don't want to mop up the mess from this leaky ceiling anymore. This house is falling apart. I better get rich!!!
neglect:
Greedy hog: I don't want to live in the gutter and I don't want my family to think i'm a loser. I better get rich!!!!
293
posted on
04/12/2005 8:25:59 PM PDT
by
Gava
To: politicket
...it has everything to do with lack of discipline in the schools. Complaining about lack of discipline in schools is like complaining about crooked politicians... if you don't vote them out, whose fault is it when they continue to be crooked?
The fact is that schools will only do what parents will tolerate; no more and no less. The example in this case occurs about twice a month in my class. Some little vulgarian utters an epithet in my class. I write a referral (the documentary portion of the disciplinary process). As part of this process, I call home to inform the parents of the referral. Later, the assistant principal will also call to inform the parents about the punishment decided. Both phone calls inevitably result in long, angry discussions with parents who complain that either the child should not be punished so "harshly" (usually an after-school detention or the like) for something so minor, or that they do not understand why the behavior is being punished at all.
Compare this with the manner in which principals and school boards fall all over themselves for every irate parent, and you will see the full measure of the problem. Every parent is all for strong discipline... so long as it is not their child.
The only parents who care enough to aggressively lobby principals and school boards about disciplinary problems are those parents whose kids are in trouble. Sure, every few years some parents will get involved and start really pushing the school board to address whatever the flavor-of-the-month issue is, but the movement inevitably falters as soon as one of the parents who is active in the movement has their little darling run afoul of the rule they have just worked so hard to create. Then it is back to the same old routine until the next brief uprising...
Sorry, but every single problem in public schools is caused, in part, by parents who don't care enough to get the problem changed. As someone who sees daily the great lengths that school administrations will go to mollify angry parents, there is no question that a concerted effort on the part of parents would change any problem they focused their energies on. But this is the great pitfall of government entities: because the institution is "free" and run by the government, the people who use the service feel no pressure to monitor it or take responsibility to see that it works correctly.
Kids will do whatever they can get away with (children need boundaries, and they push until they find them). When a school sets rules that it believes that the community wants, we expect the teachers and administrators to enforce those rules. But when parents are either indifferent or openly hostile to the enforcement of those rules, teachers and school administrators quickly learn that it is more trouble than it is worth to continue to strictly monitor those rules. And parents express their approval of this strategy through their silence. Schools reflect the community in which they operate, and their are serious problems in many American communities. Don't expect schools to change until the communities do... they are simply serving their populations...
To: Gabz
Parents can discipline as much as they want. The control they have at home is complete, BUT when the child goes out into society and is faced with vulgarity as the norm it undermines what good parents are trying to teach.
I banned MTV in my home pretty much from it's inception. My daughter survived without it, but that does not mean she did not see it at friend's homes.
Movies, Cable TV, Music, Video games... all of these contribute to a coarsening of our culture. Like it or not it's not just about the parents.
To: orionblamblam
Let me type slower. Maybe it will help you: It's--- the--- *current*--- usage--- of--- words--- that--- is--- under--- debate.
Oooohhhhh.....that is SO clever for a supposed 35 year old aerospace engineer.
It seems to me that you are void of any logical debate and also have zero knowledge of the development of our language (and isn't that what we're discussing?)
To: Charles H. (The_r0nin)
Sorry, but every single problem in public schools is caused, in part, by parents who don't care enough to get the problem changed. As someone who sees daily the great lengths that school administrations will go to mollify angry parents, there is no question that a concerted effort on the part of parents would change any problem they focused their energies on. But this is the great pitfall of government entities: because the institution is "free" and run by the government, the people who use the service feel no pressure to monitor it or take responsibility to see that it works correctly.
I will agree that there are many sorry parents out there who do not have a clue regarding discipline for their child.
However, you cannot tell me that the public school system in this country does not have its own agenda, and yes, I'm referring to the NEA (National Education Assoc.).
You might be a great teacher, and there are many out there who are, but the public school system is an absolute joke that is turning out vast numbers of undereducated children. How many times have you gone into a store to purchase some item and had a teenage cashier not have a clue how to count simple change? And SHAME on you if you do something mean like throwing an extra few pennies into the equation after they've already plugged the numbers into the cash register.
Just try to kick a kid out of your class for disrespecting your authority and see how far you get in most schools. The administration will take YOU to task and not the child. WHY??? Because that child represents dollars to the district and there is NO WAY that they will allow those dollars to disappear so readily.
As for my family, we will server the Lord, and homeschool.
To: crv16
I was raised clean-mouthed also, and I am glad that I don't have to resort to that popular, profane, and overused word a couple of times a minute.
That being said, while fairly clean mouthed, I do have an occasional distinctly PG rated level of profanity which has become a bit of a running joke - 'damn,' 'crap,' 'screw off,' etc. - which are almost comic relief in 2005!
That's relatively tame, though - many of my friends have pointed out that they have never heard me utter a particularly nasty profane word in conversation.
I like it that way. ;-)
To: politicket
> the development of our language (and isn't that what we're discussing?)
Nope. Perhaps you should pay a little more attention.
299
posted on
04/13/2005 6:14:57 AM PDT
by
orionblamblam
("You're the poster boy for what ID would turn out if it were taught in our schools." VadeRetro)
To: politicket
Our school does not allow foul language at ANY time, before, during, or after classes. I don't really believe in "foul" language. It s only shocking because we give it that power. If everyone woke up tomorrow and decided that "mountain" was a dirty word, and everyone agreed on it ... then we would see outrage evertime it was said.
Certain actions are offensive, but i've never given my kids a hard time about "bad" words.
The bigger deal you make of them, the more they say them. Take away the shock value, and it is no longer entertaining for them to say. There are to many other things to worry about than if your kid utters an expletive, IMHO. I think the reason we are where we are is because of the focus on such nonsensities.
300
posted on
04/13/2005 6:19:38 AM PDT
by
Stu Cohen
(Press '1' for English)
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