Klarinet Archive - Posting 000053.txt from 2002/04

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Shocking
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 09:16:53 -0500

At 05:06 AM 4/2/2002 +0000, Tony Pay wrote
>One thing that's certain is that there isn't a moral high ground,
>though shockable people often pretend that there is. Someone who is
>shockable isn't 'better' than someone who isn't. On the contrary, you
>tend to find that people who are righteous about being shocked by
>trivialities like single words are often less trustworthy in other
>regards.

Of COURSE there is a high moral ground here. These words have a place, and
knowing where that place IS is critical. When I was in the Air Force I
would frequently spend a week at a time on alert duty with a large group of
fellow aircrew members, eating, sleeping, etc., together. During that week
I would use coarse language as a matter of course. But I turned that part
of my vocabulary off like a light switch when I came home, since that
language was completely inappropriate around my wife and children whether
or not they had heard the words before. It would simply have been impolite
of me to speak that way in mixed company. The standard four-letter
expression for "excrement" is most certainly in my vocabulary and does not
shock me in the slightest. What I find offensive is that people will post
"____ Happens" bumper stickers on their cars, showing not the slightest
regard for the possibility that it may NOT be a welcome part of OTHER
PEOPLES' vocabularies. It is all about civility, and adjusting your speech
to your audience. In the case of the internet, that audience is worldwide
and potentially in the billions. I suggest that erring on the side of
caution would be the appropriate thing to do.

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.net
451 Old Orchard Drive
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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