[cricket]

"Aren't they all really just words? Sticks and stones, etc...."

All words are not equal - words mean things. . .putting them on the typical equal playing field of Liberal life disempowers a language just as equal playing fields disempower individuals.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

HOO rah! Bump to the top! Well said.

[marsh2]

As I understand it, when the Normans (French) conquered England, Anglo Saxon words were relegated to the vulgar. Ergo it is ok to use the word "intercourse" but not to use the "F word." Same for many other bodily and social functions.

When one mulls that over, it makes it more uncomfortable to accept some of the divisions between "proper" and not.

[stuartcr]

Outside of literal definitions, the meanings of profanity/curse words are subjective....what is offensive to one, may not be offensive to another, therefore, they really don't mean anything.