Re: Cussing? yay or nay?
Makes me glad I work in elementary school. I hear too much even then. The worst, sadly is from teachers, but NEVER in front of the students. No, I don't hold it against them. I'm not personally offended by this, just think it rather sad. (The worst is a couple of older ladies, by the way!) I'm glad my school does not tolerate this. Crudeness/profanity verbalized just cheapens our language. And humor that requires crudeness is not nearly as funny as good clean humor. <br /><br />I cussed with the best of them all the way through high school. It is so hard to quit. Now 26 years later and it is still a struggle. (When I do slip it is under my breath, but I'm not proud of this) It is so much better for kids to grow up in an environment where they don't often hear this. Wish I did.<br /><br />It is one thing when you get flustered when things go suddenly bad; at least there is a pretense of justification when a sudden crisis presents itself. To be vulgar "just because" is ugly. <br /><br />I have to agree: Cussing is a sure sign of inability to communicate effectively. Slipping occasionally is a normal moment of human weakness. Routine use is a sign of willful lack of self control. Either way it does reveal a LOT about what is inside, doesn't it? <br /><br />I don't buy that it is necessary anywhere. I've worked several places where profanity was the norm, but I neither used it nor flinched when others did. Didn't seem to bother anyone that I didn't except one woman boss. Talk about crude.... I think she drove a broom to work.
Maybe I'm just sexist, but it seems to me that those who cuss with the deepest biting anger are bitter women, though those are fortunately few and far between. Generally females are more dignified than men in this regard.<br /><br /><br />Now, so as to let everyone know that I an not all together lacking in humor here, I'll tell this true story about my grand dad: It was probably mid to late 1890's when my grandparents moved for the summer to a lumber mill where Grandpa was the head mechanic and Grandma the cook. Grandma got tired of all the language- this WAS after all a lumber camp in the mountains, right? As all the men were gathered for the evening meal, Grandma says to Grandpa, "Andy go tell those men to stop their cussing." Grandpa, without flinching grabs a couple kettles to bang together and quiets the men down. He loudly announced, Men, stop all your G@% D@&*%# cussing! It sounds like H#**! What a way with words!
