Posted on 04/12/2005 10:06:43 AM PDT by 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."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
scratch that last part. I will choose to be convinced.
"Even the lack of ability to not convince a fool is still a lack of ability."
Yes I recognize the typo so ignore it.
It should say: "Even the lack of ability to convince a fool is still a lack of ability"
> In many families, "hell" and "damn" don't even count.
Well, sure. How else are ya gonna terrorize the kiddies if you can't tell them what's going to happen to them if they don't behave as their parents tell them to?
Have you always been antagonistic toward religion?
That should be your tag line. :)
OK ;-)
> Have you always been antagonistic toward religion?
Have you stopped beating your wife?
Serously: I'm not particularly antagonistic towards religion or God or whatever... but some members of God's fan club can be seriously annoying. The Talibornagains (and y'all know who you are), who hurl fire and brimstone and damnation and lies at those not quite like them, are especailly annoying.
Note to "God in another Universe" I did attack your premise, you didn't like the answer.
Stop trying to sidestep, this isn't disco.
Ok end of debate
Good luck terrorizing people into being good citizens.
LOL!
Nice try at claiming to be 'terrorized'.
Have another lie to try before you go?
To derive an answer to this question, you might want to ponder why certain words have been considered "dirty" to begin with, and why no one respects their use, even today, when it is epidemic.
The children being talked about here will become very defensive, even defiant, against you if you address their language. This is evidence that they themselves know they are behaving in an offensive manner, even as they defend themselves with shallow retorts such as your own.
> you might want to ponder why certain words have been considered "dirty" to begin with
Well, as far as the "dirtiest" of the dirty words, the "F-Word," it was considered dirty to begin with because it was dervied from a Germanic word (taken to England a thousand years ago) that meant "to poke." Specifically, to take a stick and poke seeds into the ground... something farmers - dirty, dirty poor people - do and the Quality Rich People don't.
Also, you should wash your mouth out with soap for having said "dirty." As previosuly mentioned, "dirt" derived from the Norse "drit," which meant excrement, and consequently "dirty" was itself a "dirty word" in Victorian times.
> The children being talked about here will become very defensive, even defiant, against you if you address their language.
For poke's sake, the children being talked about here will become very defensive, even defiant, against you if you so much as *look* at them.
Nice try but etymology is irrelevant. No one cares whether the word was once German or Norse or Hindu. Really, there is an answer to this. Quit joking and try again.
I'll do you a favor and allow you to make a fool out of yourself. That's the least I can do.
The only person making a fool out of themself is you so far.
You've been here before under a different handle, haven't you.
There may be one major difference between you and I. I believe that you have the potential to become great and improve the world if you wanted to. If you believe that since I was here under a "different handle" that I'm useless, you will have one less ally for sure.
You have chosen to seek loneliness. As you wish, I will now leave you be.
"You have chosen to seek loneliness."
No, I've chosen the path of humor and good cheer among people who at least know where I am coming from and what I am speaking of.
You chose to dodge, hedge, dissemble, and obfucscate.
And when cornered, you play the victim.
I've seen this behavior before, in others.
> etymology is irrelevant.
Uhhh... who said: "ertain words have been considered "dirty" to begin with.
Thus, you are trying to bring etymology into this discussion, which is, I agree, pretty much irrelevant.
I used to know what that was like. If you recieved that private message than you know why. I'm growing wary, my humanity is beginning to slip away. I must be prudent now. Thank you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.