Cussing

I lost my rag with one of my classes this week. I have recently tried to enforce a complete ban on profanities with one group in particular that cannot seem to stop cussing. They didn’t take too kindly to this. Their argument was that anyone heard venomously bellowing “fiddle sticks” in moments of pressure might be deemed slightly eccentric rather than commendably restrained.

My problem with it is the fact that familiarity breeds out the shock value and most of my colleagues are now far more familiar with four-letter words than we might choose to be. As I walked through corridors, I imagine that if the expletives were deleted from everyday conversations that I overheard, there would be very little left. Student hangouts are not the place for those of nervous disposition or aural sensitivity.

In response, one of my students wrote me the following note: "You can't take words away, Sir. Language controls us through what we say. Even if the words aren’t there, we're still thinking it. Besides, swearing may help us let off steam, which maybe prevent us banging each other up! I'm just saying that if you banned cussing completely, every thought and frustration would still exist – new ways and means of expressing them, such as physical violence, might escalate."