The other day I wrote a "Lisa rant" on the excite message board I participate in about how the board has become not only not as much fun as it used to be but pretty much where insults and profanity rules rather than what it used to be. A fellow poster there pointed out she's experiencing the same thing on a lesser scale on another message board she participates in. Add to that a few days before I wrote on the excite board about a research article about profanity and youth and the prevailing attitude that profane language isn't really profane anymore to alot of people.
So I started to think....is it just the excite message board system? Not long ago I commented about the "hatefest" I saw some of the more mainstream "big guy" bloggers participating in about Tom DeLay.
What's the cause of this? Yes there is more clear division now than in past years that is true. Many people on both sides of the political spectrum feel frustration with the other side. But it goes deeper and it doesn't make sense. Supposedly there is this huge return to Christianity and morals happening accross America....if that is happening then what's missing?
Wouldn't you expect if there was more of a return to God or religion that there would be an increase in compassion and an increase in "being my brother's keeper"? Does not appear to be that way to me. So is this new "morality" not genunine? Saying "It's my way or the highway" or to use my favorite quote of Tom DeLay when told he was breaking federal law "I am the federal government" the problem? Has the "majority" gotten to the point where they dont'feel they have to do anything but force thru their agenda and the rest of us are supposed to just shut up and take it? Has that impression caused the minority to feel equally as uncharitable?
I realize historically we go thru cycles, and for a change to happen things have to go to an extreme the majority feels uncomfortable with, then rather than make small changes there is a dramatic shift in the opposite direction. Of course that is counter-productive but that appears to be the way we operate as humans.
That said? I'm proud to be in the minority that not only tries to respect everyone even those who disagree with me and hopes for a better future for our children. Turn on any top 40 radio station and listen to the lyrics of the songs we let our kids listen to and we accept as "music". You'll hear swear words, sexual overtones way beyond what is necessary and hatred. Then ask yourself why are kids today the way so many are.....when one of the main songs you here on the radio talks about tasting sugar on his tongue meaning oral sex you have to wonder not only why but how we let ourselves get to this point.
Sure I'm still a liberal but that doesnt mean I support no morality or alot of what is happening right now. And if we don't stand up to change it? We are not going to like the changes the majority makes on our behalf........
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6 comments:
Morality seems to be a really shady area... Sure everone needs to be allowed to have their own morals, but they also need to think of if those morals might offend someone else.
Sounds complicated, but think about how kids today treat swear words without care, thereby offending others, and how hardcore christians can be offended by pro-choice talk. Each has it's own social stigma with one part of the population but not with another. Should we forbid kids to dirty words in the same way that talk about abortions was forbidden not long ago?
(Though I don't like the excessive cursing either, for the reasons stated in the original post and others.)
A very complicated issue.
You're right Jacke, it is a very complicated issue. When I first wrote about it on the excite board I was just focused on that particular board, but I think it's more pervasive of a problem. How do you still give your children freedom to be themselves as far as expression yet not be to "dictatorish" is alone a topic we could discuss in great depth.
Sometimes I still wear the rose colored glasses where I think if we just loved each other a little more and tried to hate a little less we'd solve alot....
I have a really hard time assigning morality to specific words. While they're certainly impolite - I don't think that using swear words is particularly immoral. A word by itself is neither moral, no immoral.
I'm not saying that it's appropriate to let loose a stream of Deadwood style obscenities in the company of a young kid, That's just not appropriate. But I think that there's a time and a place for adult language, and that if used "intelligently" it can actually add much needed passion to the discussion. We're always concerned about the level of the debate - well, I think maybe it's worthy of consideration that the level doesn't mean as much as the fact that there's a debate at all.
Of course, I'm kinda a profane person (I was once a Teamster, after-all) , so maybe this is just self defense.
I swear at times Brew, sometimes it does make an effective point, I guess my thing is if it becomes so common place that the kids are dropping fbombs left and right the words don't have an effect anymore like they used to...as I joked around with a fellow net friend let's bring back GOLLY as the really "bad" word because fuck has become common place.....
It's not just the profanity alone it's a much deeper issue.
Personally, I think morality and profanity are two completely separate issues. If there is a connection between the two at all I think it exists in the mind of the individual as they form their own image of others based on what they see and hear. But unless you know that person for the individual that they really are you're most likely going to get it wrong. That's where I think alot of this current intolerance is coming from...too many people have hang-ups based on image...and many of us have got it wrong.
That's a great story. Waiting for more.
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