This essay is one man's attempt to reach across to other generations.
(SALEM) - As I approach my 66th birthday, the mind wanders back to a much earlier era when the use of "dirty word" was strictly taboo. Today's young people -- and even some middle-aged folks -- might view this attitude as obsolete.
When yours truly was coming of age in my hometown of New York, gangsters and bullies were largely associated with profanity. Those who indulged in such language were considered the icons of violence.
In fact, users of profane terms were viewed as being drawn from a less-educated, less-refined social class. People wanted to avoid them.
Yes, I vividly recall when my then-naive sister Elaine came into the house repeating a few choice taboo words, such as the gutter term for excrement. She swiftly got her mouth washed with a very stringent soap called Lava that is no longer manufactured. That would discourage us--evermore!
On another level, profane phrases are often mere cliches, shorthands geared to express anger. Who would say in real life to "go fornicate yourself" or complain of being "urinated off"? Such would be absurdity.
I've always been short of height at 5-2 and came to define profanity as the weapon of the big overbearing bully. Blind anger and name-calling have never endeared themselves to my persona. Others may view it differently.
During those days of my youth -- the distant 50's -- profane words were tainted with disrespect for females in particular. So-called dirty words were invoked to put down women. Even before there was an Equal Rights Movement, I found that practice repulsive. I recall an incident in junior high in which the crudeness of some young boys in the lunchroom was so irritated that I simply moved away rather than give it any validity.
Up to the present, my brand of values is to skip those "R" movies and avoid porn-prone websites. Somehow I've managed not to use profane language in the presence of women. That is my personal testament to respecting their inherent worth.
There may be others who would snicker at this, and vulgar lingo may well be woven into their daily vocabularies. That is their decision to make. By the same token, those who share my beliefs merit the right to think to live by their own set of principles....and avoid profanity.
Let my four-letter usage focus instead on one word: L-O-V-E.
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Lee Coyne is a retired newspaperman living in West Salem, OR, who continues to freelance for Salem-News.com and other groups while engaging in community projects.Tel: 503-365-7533
BLEEP-BLEEP! How Profanity Shapes the ChildSalem-News.com