Writings in the Sand

To Swear or Not to Swear - Oh, What the Heck?

Recently, there was some dispute about swearing and the use of cuss words in writing and other forms of communication. I was rather unceremoniously implicated in some plot to outlaw swearing, I am not sure why, as this post is the first time I have written on the subject.

That is not to say that I am pro-swearing. I don’t believe I am, though I do swear sometimes. I am not for locking up all people who swear, either. It’s a matter of personal choice. But like all personal choices, it affects the image we present to the world and the world will think as it likes, despite how we want them to think. If I decide to dye my hair purple, some people will think I am edgy or fun, other people will think I am senile. So, it would depend on whether or not I like purple hair and whether I can withstand the odd looks from those who disapprove.

If I were to write a story with a hard-bitten character, it would seem silly to have him utter phrases such as “Oh, my!” or “golly”. Those are lines of dialogue best suited to Dorothy in Oz. But in expressing my own personal views, I think the more authentic voice is somewhere in between those two extremes.

Even though I am extremely unlikely to include profanity in a blog post, it isn’t simply because I don't use it much in speech. It’s partly because it gets repetitive if not saved for moments of high dudgeon. It’s as if I used the adjective “very” in every sentence.

It was a very hot day. I was very tired and very thirsty. I had been walking a very long time under a very bright sun in this very dry desert.

I can’t believe anyone would review that paragraph and not beg me to use some more descriptive adjectives. Now, replace "very" with a common swear word. It’s still repetitive isn’t it?

I grew up in a household where there was no swearing. None. No one swore on television, either. For me, swearing was an indication of an out-of-control, angry person. Once, at a friend’s house, I was terribly frightened by my friend’s father who was swearing at a toy he could not get to work. My friend was unfazed. This was the usual at that house, for that family.

For someone unused to cussing, it can seem threatening or angry. It’s funny that in a world where so many claim that “words are violence” and feel injured when someone expresses a differing opinion to their own, the effect that a raised tone of voice and a torrent of profanity has on a person unused to that is not considered.

Swearing has its place for just about everyone, I think. There are those who feel empowered by it, but there are also those who are offended by it. No one has to stop swearing because it offends people, especially if they don’t particularly care about offending people. No one should start swearing because of pressure to conform, nor should they give up using the adjectives or interjections of their choosing.

Personally, I like to save my cuss words for when I am good and angry. Or when I do something stupid and feel frustrated. I want you to know that I am more upset than usual. Besides, cuss is a permutation of curse, and I don’t want to be speaking curses over people.