Originally posted by LadyAurora
Exactly how my mom felt! Someone who is intelligent should have a large enough vocabulary to express themselves without obscene language (or slightly less obscene substitutions).
I have two bachelor's degrees and one tech degree (all with honors) and I use those words. I'm not sure my instructors would agree that I'm not an intelligent person.
They're just words. The English language has a variety of words, but few have the capability for producing shock in the way that certain four lettered words do. Sometimes they are perfectly useful. Last week I cut my finger straight to the bone. "Oh gee" sure didn't have the ability to convey to my family the pain I was in nor would such an expression give me any particular relief. Trust me, the "f" word, with all it's harshness, was the only word in the English language that was strong enough for that particluar moment. I got some relief for yelling it, and my family knew that I needed some assistance!
Bad words don't bug me at all. I don't use them in public, nor do I allow my child to use them in public. I don't use them excessively and I don't allow my child to, either. But there are times when the situation calls for them, and in those situations, I really don't care if people around me use them.
Now ask me if I let my child use hurtful words. The answer is never. Many people who don't allow their kids to cuss DO allow them to call other people dumb, retard, gay, and any number of other mean and nasty words. My child would get her mouth washed out for that. I would much prefer a society in which people used cuss words if they wanted to and refrained from hurtful words. In my opinon, the truly useless words are those that are meant to inflict pain. Yelling the "f" word because you cut your finger doesn't hurt anybody. Last year, somebody called my daughter's friend fat and ugly (she was at our house swimming) and now she won't get in the pool (a year later) because she feels she's too ugly to wear a bathing suit. Now tell me that the damage of the "f" word can possibly compare to the damage of being called cruel names. To me, it's the meaning that is conveyed by a word that is or is not a problem...not the word itself.
