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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Adults Are Immature, Too

I recently contacted a few newspapers regarding writing for them about Bleep!. One reporter I contacted referred me to his publisher, and when I emailed him in thanks, he responded, "You're d**n welcome."

My stock response to kids and teens who curse at me is, "To start off, I just want to say that using the f word at a total stranger online is really a poor decision. If you've looked at my website, you've see that by cursing, there are so many negative effects, and because you just cursed I think so much less of not only you but your family and school, and the community you represent. I suggest you check out my site at http://sites.google.com/site/bleeporganization and read some suggestions on how to stop cursing." However, it seemed like the wrong thing to respond to this reporter.

So instead, I'm writing this blog post. Adults are immature, too. They also curse, but they also garner all the negative effects. So do I think less of this reporter? Yes. Do I think less of the paper he works at because of the word he decided to use? Yes. And do I think less of his general community, whatever that may be? Yes. I do.

While Bleep!'s mission is to stop kids and teens from cursing, the concepts still apply to adults. They can be thought of as immature, ignorant, unimaginative, obnoxious, whiny, disrespectful, offensive, unpleasant to be around, having a bad attitude, lack of control, little character, and no respect. And I DEFINITELY think that of this reporter.

4 comments:

  1. I personally think you should have emailed this reporter - he should have known better than to respond that way, especially to YOU, the creator and founder of Bleep! whose mission is to show the negative affects of cursing!

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  2. I actually emailed this post to the reporter, because I agree with what you said - if I'm trying to stop people from cursing, what's the point of cursing at me?

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  3. I think quite possibly the reporter was just protecting his psychological freedom to express himself in the way he thinks or feels most effective. Think, for example, of Gone With the Wind: should Rhett not have said to Scarlet, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn!"? No, that was the right line and those were the most effective words.

    In addition, it is ethically incorrect and a false assumption to think less of his paper and certainly his community because he swore. You can indulge in that private denigration if you like, but it is not morally justified. Even with regard to the reporter himself, swearing has to be judged as an aspect of his total character-there may be many other good parts. I know people who generally don't swear who aren't particularly admirable persons and no credit to themselves or their communities.

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  4. Of course the reporter was protecting his freedom to say what he wants to. I don't want to take his First Amendment right away from him, he can curse up a storm, it doesn't impact my life in any way. However, to curse for no reason in response to an email about an anti-cursing organization is truly the epitome of all that is immature. The d word was not an effective word to use, nor was it necessary in any way. The fact that the paper would hire and keep on payroll some as silly as that makes me think less of it. I'm not saying this reporter is a bad person, considering I don't know him at all, but to curse in the way that he did indicated that maybe he was not so pleasant.

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