When Winston Churchill was asked why he never cursed at Hitler, the worst he called him was "that madman".
Churchill said that cursing was the sign of ones inabiliy to express oneself in an intelligent manner.

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I agree with what you are saying to an extent, but that was the 40's and this is the 2000's.

Andrew Dice Clay is a legend while Marth Stewart goes to jail.

Remember, it was you guys who let television go from Brady Bunch to All in the Family while folks my age were growing up. The result is a desensitized society progressivly growing worse. I use foul language from time to time, but I don't walk around with my butt showing or with a hat on sideways......that's the "kids" even younger than me.

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I guess it depends on who you have respect for.

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> I guess it depends on who you have respect for. Some people have no respect for anybody or anything, they just exist in a vacuum. Their lives end up meaningless.
>

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Again, I agree to an extent.

Growing up in the 70's and 80's, I wanted to be a rock star, not a soldier or astronaut.

Kids of today idolize gangster movie actors (fake people and stories) and rappers who get shot in gang wars, or the crack dealer down the street with new shoes every week.

The difference being, I actually had a Dad at home to whip my butt whenever I got out of control, and THAT'S what most of the kids today are missing......in my opinion anyway.

Off to work, have a nice day!!

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I grew-up mostly in the 80's and 90's Stephen. With movies and music that had a lot of bad language. So I guess that you could say that cursing is very natural for me. I think that there are times though that cursing is just not appropriate in certain discussions.

Inappropriate speech is almost always dependent on a given situation. If I yell "Fire" on this thread, there is nothing wrong with it at all, but in a crowded theater (the classic example) yelling "Fire" may be a problem (if there is no fire).

Comparing the mores of the 40's or 50's with today presents a similar disparity, in that "H-E-double hockey sticks" was considered risqué back in the day. I recall it being argued that "Darn" and Gosh", substitutes for "Damn" and "God", were just as bad, as they conveyed the same ill-feeling as the words they replaced.

Yet, sometimes, the use of foul language can be appropriate. In today's culture, what was once deemed a swear word can be an effective shortcut expressing the speaker's anger and/or disgust. On a pure communication level, swearing can have a visceral impact: "you are a God damn prick" versus "you are completely wrong and not being very logical about your position".

Eventually, it comes down to not dealing with those whose language offends you. Don't go to their parties, don't discuss with them at work, don't open their E-mails or read their posts on message boards. There are limits to free speech, but "gutter language" is not automatically one.

> Churchill said that cursing was the sign of ones inabiliy to express oneself
> in an intelligent manner.

Good day to you, Stephen

Another Churchill gem that I always liked:

"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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Come to think of it, Osama Bin Laden hasn't used any vulgar language.
In the end it is just a question of nurture. When I was young, if I had the
misfortune to use foul language in front of my parents, my head would be
spinning around like that little girl in the Exorcist movie, but the cause
would be from getting my face slapped quite forcefully. Then my father
would have his turn.

Today, I generally use adult language for effect in front of other adults
when the need arises, and at other times it just feels good to vent your
spleen.

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Account frozen...

Gutter Language: I once read on a bathroom stall "Pity those whom's minimal poetic abilities are aroused by the smell of this bathroom...Think before writing." And I never forgot it!! Call me strange!! Swearing or not it is all part of communication that is always changing. Some do and some don't. It is not the words but the character of an individual. Granted.. words have a bearing on an individual's character but thats not to say that a well spoken person could be the biggest ___hole you would ever want to meet.

Never judge a book by it's cover. (A lesson I once learned the Hard Way)

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> Gutter Language: I once read on a bathroom stall "Pity those whom's minimal
> poetic abilities are aroused by the smell of this bathroom...Think before
> writing." And I never forgot it!! Call me strange!! Swearing or not it is all
> part of communication that is always changing. Some do and some don't. It is
> not the words but the character of an individual. Granted.. words have a
> bearing on an individual's character but thats not to say that a well spoken
> person could be the biggest ___hole you would ever want to meet.
>
> Never judge a book by it's cover. (A lesson I once learned the Hard Way)
>

I agree with all that s**t you just said man, except I thought the bathroom thing was a little creepy.

I disagree.
the Moral Crusade.

2&cent;

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