Solving Conflicts with Profanity

It's been a while since I wrote my last post. Kind of went through a depressive phase for a bit of time there. So in order to avoid falling into depression again, I've decided to put my abortion series on hold until I feel a little better. I promise it will be written, just not right now.

Today's post is about Profanity! It's a universal part of language, and everybody has words that they feel should never be said. My hope is that I can sketch here some of the reasons behind our lists of profanities and see if we can find some common ground between liberals and conservatives on how they are to be used. 

But in keeping with my bigoted values, I will proceed to do this whilst simultaneously stereotyping each end of the political spectrum and denying completely the existence of independents and moderates. 

1) In order to achieve common ground on profanity, we must first identify the profanities themselves and the rationale behind the "tabooed" nature, so here below I have written lists and explanations for each political faction:

My first list is one that offends mainly conservatives, i.e. those men that have spontaneous erections when watching Red Dawn, and those women that think homosexuality is an abomination but would totally let Ayn Rand have lesbian sex with them.

“The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me.”  

- actual quote, possibly taken out of context

Conservative American Profanities: Sex, body parts, and Deities

Ass

bastard 

bitch 

cock 

crap (semi-profane) 

damn 

dick 

fuck

Invoking "G-d" or other deities as an expletive (they've pretty much given up on this one)

pussy

shit 

tit(s) 

twat

vagina (applies only to residents of Michigan)

There are many more curses, especially if you include variations of root profanities. Most of these have to do with sex, body parts, and deities. Tabooing these profanities is in essence an attempt by conservatives to keep these things sacred. All these words in some way denigrate sex (by reducing it to mere physicality or irreverently treating the act), the human body (including the excretory system), or religion (this should be self-explanatory). This list highlights, in a way, the values of conservatives, who attempt to preserve the sacred nature of long-standing traditions and institutions.

Now to those college-type liberals that mourn our patriarchal capitalist society and list their profession as "Equal-opportunity Tree-Hugger.":

All trees deserve a hug...

    

I've heard some of you utter statements such as, "Conservatives need to learn that curse words have no inherent power. They're just words." 

Essentially, you're claiming that tabooing words is an outmoded attempt to stigmatize thought. All words are acceptable when placed in proper context, and conservatives need to quit being such hard-asses. 

My answer to you is simply this: 

Liberal List: Gays, Genders and Ethnicity

Beaner

Chinaman: See video below

Chink

Coon

Cracker (possibly acceptable, as it refers to white people)

Darkie

Dyke

Fag

Feminazi

Fig-eater

Gook

Kike

Nigger

If you're a liberal and you have no problem with these words, then at least you're consistent

For the rest of my reading audience, I hope you recognize that the main bulk of these words consist of ethnic slurs, sexist terms, and anti-same-sex-orientated remarks. We don't usually refer to these words as curse words because they aren't normally used as expletives. But they are taboo words all the same, and have the same ability to identify the values of the stereotypical liberal. 

Your basic liberal recognizes that our ancestors were ignorant in many ways and historically treated certain groups of people with undeserved hatred and abuse (except for the Catholics, they still hate those guys). The tabooing of these words is an attempt by liberals to protect individuals from outmoded prejudice and old-fashioned bigotry. This highlights the values of liberals, namely, the protection of those historically disadvantaged groups, and the restructuring and refinement of society for the benefit of all.

But the question still remains: Where can conservatives and liberals find common ground on this issue? There may be overlap between them on the tabooing of these words (conservatives rarely utter racist slurs anymore), but these two groups have definite differences between their list or "canon" of profanity.

To put it simply, we can find agreement in one word: Cunt.

No, I don't know what the grey writing means, 

I just found it on a google image search.

This word is almost universally tabooed in America. It is hated by conservatives because it refers to female genitalia, and liberals hate it because it is used as a sexist slur against women. It is the perfect storm of profanity.

I believe that in this simple, monosyllabic word, we have found a taboo word that is recognized as vulgar by the vast majority of Americans, and we have thus discovered a starting point for a social contract regarding foul language. We find common feelings of offense at this word, and therefore we can gain a sense of the feelings generated when we use the taboo phrases of others. This universal verbal provocation is the beginning of what I hope will become a mutual respect for each other's taboos. Although I have no ability to enforce this rule, I will present here a set of guidelines for each belief group, and provide a few ways that we can start changing our country's use of profanity TODAY.

Guidelines on Profane Language:

For Conservatives:

• Recognize that our list of taboo words is not static. It changes over time. So don't get too pissed when the younger generation starts using words like "bullfeathers" and "dangit."

• Realize that when you use racial epithets and sexist slurs, they refer to real people, and recognize tht stereotypes can be used to promote mistreatment of real individuals.

• If you haven't stopped already, PLEASE stop using the word "fag." It's just not cool.

• If you regularly use the word "nigger," please stop reading this post and consider initiating the process of acting like a normal human being.

Example of something you can do TODAY to advocate a less profane culture:

The next time you're scraping dinner off the side of the road with your cousins (who are also your immediate family), and you feel tempted to make a racist joke, make a conscious decision to not let it out of your tobacco-stained mouth. 

The next time you're buying pork rinds at Wal-Mart and catch a glimpse of a flamboyantly dressed man, please refrain from calling him a fag. As a man who loves his paisley ties, this directive has personal relevance for me.

The next time you go to your favorite gun store, take the time to learn the actual name of the the brown-skinned man with the mustache working the cashier desk; "amigo" is not a polite substitute in most cases, especially considering that he probably speaks better English than you do.

No, it's not ironic that he's wearing that hat.

For Liberals:

• Recognize that there are such things as profane words. 

• Common decency asks that you refrain from profanity in public.

• Be extra careful with your language around children. Not everyone is as progressive/totally dickish/ignorant as you are when it comes to parenting.

• Please please, please, PLEASE, refrain from using deities' names as an expletive. If you're offended by the use of the term "fag," then consider the offense created when you use a deities' name as a substitute for other profane words. Yes, we know that you consider the concept of god to be an artificial construct of society. Some people feel the same way about sexual orientation. It doesn't matter who's right. Just stop being a dick.

Example of something you can do TODAY to help advocate a less profane culture:

As you march downtown in protest of the GOP's war on women, you might see a nearby police officer (it's always a male one) in riot gear that seems particularly reactionary and backward. He might act rudely towards you. He might shoot you dirty looks (or pepper spray). He might embody to you the entire tyrannical fascist patriarchal hegemonic system of western culture. But please, refrain from using your right to free speech as an excuse to hurl profane epithets at him. Remember, even if your words are directed at him, they can be heard by everyone downtown that's within earshot. Who knows, you might be overheard by a young, single, yet independent career woman who's on her way home from work, whose attempts to climb the male-dominated corporate ladder suffered a setback today when she was publicly insulted by her sexist, better-paid-but-less-qualified-male-boss (you know, the one that got promoted ahead of her). The words may not be directed at her, but she doesn't need to hear those nasty words. She just wants to soak in a warm bath with a glass of pinot grigio and relax while reading her collection of poems by Sylvia Plath. 

Sylvia Plath: hot feminist writer, a.k.a. Unicorn

So yeah. I hope that clears things up.

One last word on cussing to both of y'all: 

Please be nice. 

Don't be a dick.

Sincerely,

The Bigot.