Originally posted by rbmorrisAgreed RB. In general I think the enter PC movement has given people the mistaken believe that they have a *right* not to be offended.
I don't think that having socially enforced taboos is progessive. If anything, all the "PC" attitudes, the Bush administration and the religious right, have brought us back a few decades. Feels like we're in the damn 1950s these days.
I try to do my part by offending as many people, daily, as I can.
Originally posted by rbmorrisI dont like bush and ther religious nuts..but whingin from the lefties sounds as weak. Sorry. Racism in teh USA is better in some ways than it was in the 1950s. taboos or no taboos
I don't think that having socially enforced taboos is progessive. If anything, all the "PC" attitudes, the Bush administration and the religious right, have brought us back a few decades. Feels like we're in the damn 1950s these days.
Originally posted by StarrmanAn interesting aspect of cussing is that some people don't even bother if it becomes acceptable. They want to use the words to create shock and outrage.
I think it is a shame that certain words are percieved as intrinsically bad. The cultural/semantic implications are really interesting; these words carry neither a predicatory value (such as a 'brown' or 'small'😉, a designatory value (like 'shoe'😉, or a quantifying value (such as 'several'😉. Instead it might be said they carry a linguistic emotion, that l ...[text shortened]... h there may be some etymological event). I wonder what Russell would have made of them.
Example, Shavix not wanting to join the PFC because at that point cussing would be a waste of time for those reasons.
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Originally posted by Red NightI don't know about you, but I don't use swear words all the time (it probably happens about once every few years). But if it should happen one day that I am talking about a swear word, and there's a child somewhere close enough to hear it, I don't think it would do any harm.
Excellent point.
But, you will admit there is a difference between you explaining the words to them and having them hear you use the words all of the time?
Originally posted by StarrmanPlease put whatever IQ you claim to have in gear and get on the right side of this issue. It is bad for the child because other children can be hurt by it. It is a bad influence on the child and people may shun the child as a bad influence to their own children. And they would probably be on the right side of the tracks in doing so IMHO.
I'm still not sure what's bad about that, embarassing to you as parents, should other parents find out (since they hold the action as taboo), but why bad for the child?
Originally posted by PhlabibitTrue, Shav is all about the performance.
An interesting aspect of cussing is that some people don't even bother if it becomes acceptable. They want to use the words to create shock and outrage.
Example, Shavix not wanting to join the PFC because at that point cussing would be a waste of time for those reasons.
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Originally posted by Mephisto2MAYBE you are right. MAYBE the rest of the world is ahead of the US in this area.
'I understand that Europeans like to think that they are superiour to the US in every way. '
They are not, nor does the majority think that. I certainly do not. But MAYBE your inference is wrong (that dealing with racism would be an area where US is ahead of the rest of the world).
I don't think that you saying so or me stating the opposite opinion is dispostive of the question.
There were a number of race riots in Europe this past year. The US hasn't had a race riot since the Rodney King incident many years ago.
Racial slurs are common place at European football matches and almost unheard of at US sporting events.
MAYBE some of these racial issues are newer to Europe.
MAYBE I'm being unfair because the US is (unfortunately) now more concerned with hipanics and illegal immigrants.
I don't profess to know the answer. That is why I used the word MAYBE.
Originally posted by cashthetrashDo be quiet, I'm not taking any position for or against, so you can stop larking on about it because for some reason you have a beef with me. I'm asking for intelligent input on the question of why these words are bad. Answering 'because they are' or 'because children can be hurt by them' says absolutely nothing about why the words are bad, only what their effects can be when used in a specific and intended way. Neither does it address the harm of them when emotion is unattached.
Please put whatever IQ you claim to have in gear and get on the right side of this issue. It is bad for the child because other children can be hurt by it. It is a bad influence on the child and people may shun the child as a bad influence to their own children. And they would probably be on the right side of the tracks in doing so IMHO.
Originally posted by NordlysSelfish. It is not your decision what other people's children can and can't hear.
I don't know about you, but I don't use swear words all the time (it probably happens about once every few years). But if it should happen one day that I am talking about a swear word, and there's a child somewhere close enough to hear it, I don't think it would do any harm.
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