Sydney & Denny

Sydney & Denny
September at the Park

Friday, October 15, 2010

Cussing and kids.

Is it really necessary?
I witnessed something today that really bothered me. I was in a store with my little girl when we walked past a woman who was getting after what I can only assume was her son. He looked to be about seven or eight, so very impressionable. She had grabbed him by the shoulder and made him stand next to her while saying "Stand the f up." Obviously the "f" stands for the bad word that rhymes with truck. I was really offended by her language around my kid, but it made me start to think about a deeper problem. Do we as a society use too much foul language? Have we been desensitised to the occasional curse word? I think so, especially when our kids are as exposed to it as much as they are.
Don't they hear it enough in movies and TV?
It seems that every thing we see on TV or at the movies has some sort of cursing involved. The phrase "pissed off" is thrown around on some of even the most tame shows on TV these days. When did this become okay? The kids of today see it enough that in my opinion they don't need to be cussed at by their parents. It really bothers me when I hear it happening. I occasionally drop an "ass" or "shit" around my kids, but that's as far as I will go. That's not to say that I haven't ever used the "f" word, but I don't around my kids. What does foul language really accomplish anyway? I heard a saying once that said that people who cuss only do so because they were not intelligent enough to think of anything better to say. I guess there are times that I fall into that category. I just don't think my kids need to be exposed to that type of language at this point in time.
I am going to a high school football game tomorrow night to keep stats for a friend of mine who is a coach at the school. I've done this twice already this season, and I really enjoy it. I have sat in a top corner of the bleachers, but there have been a lot of high school kids around me during the game. It has seemed like every other word out of the kids mouths has been "f this" or "f that." Why? I guess it's because they see it all the time and even their parents are doing it around them. It really makes me kind of sad to think that we've gotten to this point in our society that foul language is just an accepted part of our vernacular.
I challenge you.
It is because of my feelings on this subject that I would like to issue a challenge to everyone who reads this blog. Every time you use a cuss word, do something that punishes yourself. And, if it's in front of your kids, or any kids for that matter, make the punishment even more severe. Maybe it we start at the parent level we can weed out some of the cussing in our society.
Have a great night, and stop "fing" cussing!     

3 comments:

  1. I'm not averse to the odd bit of cussing when appropriate, but over-use and inappropriate use is rather tiresome, as you say. Personally, I'd like anyone who use the 'F' word as noun, verb, adjective and adverb in the same sentence punished most severely. Something lingering, as The Mikado had it. With boiling oil...

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  2. Dennis,

    You asked for some help the other week? I sent you a message but you didn't seem to get it.

    Let me know

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  3. Keith, I absolutely did ask for help. I had some trouble with my email being hacked for a while that I think I've fixed so maybe that's why I didn't get your message. I'd like to "speak" with you in a less public forum. I have lots of blogging questions. Are you on facebook so that I could send you a message that way?
    Dennis

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