Thoughts on Foul Language

When one becomes a parent, one begins to look at, and listen to the world in a different way. I'm the parent of a very smart 5 year old who questions everything. I like that about her. She has a 15 month old little sister who is learning to talk by repeating what she hears. This makes the world for me an interesting place. Television shows, movies, billboards, magazines and radio shows that I previously paid little attention to are now magnified as my oldest ponders their meaning and my youngest repeats their language.

I heard a man telling about taking his 7 year old son to a professional basketball game and sitting in front of some guys who were using very bad language. This puts a parent in a tough spot. If you decide to say something to the cussers, you risk a major confrontation. If you say nothing, you either have to leave or cringe for the entire game. Their freedom of speech has now taken away your freedom to enjoy a ballgame with your kid. Is that right? It seems to me that this is a case of liberty without responsibility.

The other day I was getting some soup at the grocery store. A nicely dressed young man came up behind me to see what kind of soup they were serving. When he saw what it was he said to no one in particular, "S***, f***ing clam chowder." Then he returned to his job at the in-store bank where I found out later, he was the manager. Was he really that disappointed in the soup? At what point does that "strong" language lose its power? What words would he choose should say, his leg was cut off in a horrible logging accident? The same words he used to express his disappointment with the soup choice?

Is it purely a matter of laziness? Is it the general dumbing down of our society? Is it an indication of the loss of our moral compass?

Hey, watch your mouth, I'm just asking.