I stormed into the office, leaving the principal and the door slam in my wake.
"Sit down," he told me, firm but polite. I sat.
I had my argument prepared. I didn't care if I was in a school, or if I had broken an old school rule. I poured out my propisition. "I am eighteen years old, the school's government represenative, the school columnist and newspaper editor," I huffed. "There is no way I'm getting punished for profanity in a private conversation." I began to state myself clearly. "I have first amendment rights," I pushed on. "Even though I'm imprisoned in these cinderblock walls, I can say what I want in a private conversation, I will win in a court case." Yes, I had quite a mouth on me.
"Brianne," the principal said, still polite but indeed firmer yet, "I can't help you out here, you broke a school rule, you used profanity and you have to be punished."
Although this is taken in retrospective and been changed to provide a better flow, I still feel the injustice of having restriction on my first amendment rights. I had a perfectly good reason to be angry, the school newspaper's editorial had not passed muster once again, and I missed print deadline because of the slow return rate from the administration. I do know that profanity is a taboo (unless, of course you are a teenager since it is all the rage) but I honestly don't understand how you can get away with saying "crud" instead of its alternative, and "freak" instead of its alternative as well. I don't get if they have the same meaning and malicious contempt that one can be monitored while the other cannot. Plus, being a teenager, plenty of music in the "real world" pocesses such strong language and crude behavior, although I don't find it offending. What I find offending is people meaning a racial slur and saying a milder, more politically correct term instead when they mean the same exact thing. Either tolerate all of it or none of it, don't pick and chose your synonyms.
I really don't see the big deal with swearing either. I always felt like high school was meant to prepare you for the real world. But in the real world, you're allowed to swear, so why can't you in high school, especially during a private conversation. It's not like you stood on top of a lunch room table and shouted amongst you classmates in words of profanity. I just don't see the big deal.
1.) There isn't really a big deal when it comes to cussing in a private conversation. It was where the cussing was done. From what I've learned, when a student walks into a school he/she loses almost all of their rights when they're in the school building; however, once he/she is outside of school AND off its property then you can tell everybody in the school to go to hell or what ever he/she wants because he/she has gained their rights back. In school he/she are required to maintain a certain amount of edicate. If you don't then - well, you get reprimanded.
2.) I can remember vividly walking down my middle school hallway hearing around every corner someone being called the b-word or even better, told to f-off. I never found any of these words disturbing - especially since I use these words freely where ever I am. High school on the other hand is a time in anyones life to prepare for the real world and one way is standing up for yourself. If this means that you have told tell your teacher, parent, or principal to go screw themself then go ahead. You shouldn't be punished for trying to tell them how you feel, since councelors, and parents are trying to tell you to express yourself so you don't bottle anything up.
3.) Euphemisms PISS ME OFF!! There are no reasons to use witch in place of bitch. Hello!! Everybody knows what you is trying to say. You just look like a dumbass. There is a reason why we are given the Constitution, it's so we can use it. Amendment #1: Freedom of speech-everybodies favorite.
Words people should use without fear: Bitch, Pussy, Fuck and its variations, etc.
ALL RACIAL SLURS ARE BAD AND SHOULDN'T BE USED. ANYBODY WHO USES THEM SHOULD GO AND BURN IN HELL WITH THE DEVIL. I think the devil was created as a way to scare us into being good. Who knows? Sorry for being off topic. :)
Thanks for understanding. I also forgot to mention if the vice president of the United States can use the most "vile" form of profanity on the floor of the senate I don't see the problem with it myself. Gotta love that Dick Cheney. (/sarcasm)
Profanity in our schools is wrong. Not everyone wants to hear a lot of cussing. I get mad at my brother at home. You may have the right to freedom of speech, but your freedoms are endless until you reach someone else's. So, I would exercise my right to not want to hear it.
I'm a Christian, so when God tells me through the Bible that it is not fitting for a person to swear, than I will obey His whim. But regardless of what my religion says, I really don't think cursing is necessary in our society at all. If you are within the vicinity of a school, and you are caught swearing by a faculty member, they have every right to punish you. I'm sure the rules in every school in the nation about swearing are all the same; it should not be done at school period.
P.S. And when I say it is not okay to swear, I do mean that, including racial slurs and other offensive words.
Interesting. But my main point was that the majority of people can say the same exact meaning with different words. Isn't the ideals behind the words what is humiliating rather than swear words? It's like not allowing the "b-word" but saying "stupid witch" when you MEAN THE SAME EXACT THING. I don't mean to be rude, but I didn't mean to evoke the Bible in this, I just think it's hypocritical to say something slightly different but have the same intent and not get in trouble.
And I'm not debating my punishment, it wasn't a big deal after I got over it. I'm just using that as an example of a situation with two sides.
::Why quote others when you know you want to say it yourself?::
You are very correct. I think attitudes against cursing are misplaced and irrational.
For instance, if there was someone in class I really disliked, I could break him apart with reason, true epithets, harsh analyses of his morality, character, ability, judgment, and actions, and basically destroy him. If I did this in class, a teacher might tell me to stop being mean.
However, if a slack-jawed, inarticulate, idiotic, brainless fool utters a syllable that sounds like an Unlawful Syllable, one whose meaning is completely baseless and nonsensical, he would still get punished.
The meanings behind the words in the two situations are wildly different, and the punishments are irrational for each. School officials are afraid of vibrations in air, "a sound, a syllable, not unlike a sneeze or a pencil striking the ground; euphemisms are useless, the intent and meaning is fully there, only restrained for the prurient [philistine] interest."
We should instead teach learning the meanings and intents of words, not the fake meaningful-ness of their sounds.
Michael Allen Yarbrough
Exactly! I remember that as a kid, others would omit endings and mispronounce the words in order to "get away" with certain words.
It isn't the sound of the word that's offensive, it's the idea! If we allow certain ideas to offend us, why allow any variation of the word?
I think it's pretty ridiculous that we've banned sounds because they carry offensive meanings. I think that generally swearing is unnecessary because it carries an angry connotation, but if it does slip out it shouldn't merit punishment.
I am Christian an nowhere in the Bible does it say not to swear. So swearing is alright I suppose when not used in anger. I believe that if you say a word to mean something bad, then it is that, bad. If you say it to be funny, or because it fits properly so be it. Although I have found that if you swear casually you are more likely to swear when you are angery, therefore I choose not to swear.
-Hutch
"What can I say, that can explain, all this time I'm loving life..."
-The Starting Line
"Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes- these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God."
Ephesians 5:4
I find it interesting that religious people feel they have an honest, rational reason why cursing is bad by using a book full of contradictions.
Profanity doesn't hurt anyone. It hasn't killed anyone. Its another method of control by the same people who created religion. People don't want to change anything because how can you argue with "god?"
As mentioned above, it is true that the idea behind the vulgarity is MUCH worse than the actual word. We should stop this nonsense.
"Civilization will not reach its perfection until the last stone, from the last church, falls on the last priest."