Foul language and Writing

Thirty years ago, I was in a writing class at a local community college.  I wrote an embellished story about an outing I was at with an outlaw motorcycle gang I rode with for a while.  In the story I populated it with the language that was use by such people.  One of the fellow students objected to the foulness of the writing.  The professor chided her with a discourse on reality and how I represented the tale with gritty realism.  I think I was wrong to write it that way.

Now, decades later I have come to realize that although the world has digressed into more foul language than ever before, particularly by women and children, that I don't like it.  I would submit to you that I have throughly appreciated the badness of a bad guy even when they never uttered a cuss word.  In fact, I don't even notice the character didn't have a foul tongue.  I do notice when they do and frequently stop reading or watching a movie when it gets excessive.

An argument, I suppose, for using foul language in writing is for the realism and perhaps shock value.  Also, for those that have a foul tongue of their own wouldn't find any fault in reading such material.  Yet, I would suggest that if our writing is kept clean of cussing it would reach a greater audience than it would otherwise. 

I have on occasion reached for a way of saying something and only a foul word to express it would come to mind.  As I paused, searching my mind for another way of saying what I wanted to say without using the foul expression I came up at a lost.  That was years ago after I had made the effort to clean up my speech.  So that I don't sound too sanctimonious I let you know I haven't always been so clean cut.  Ha… Here is how I came to depreciate foul language.

Am I all wet on this?  Let me know how you feel about it.  What degree of foulness can you tolerate?

Foul Mouthed 

As a person we evolve our personalities.  Hopefully for the better.

I don't cuss or swear.   It hasn't always been that way.  As a 24 year old First Class Petty Officer on a Frigate, I could throw out a crude spew from my mouth that could practically cling to the bulkheads.  Everyone did.   As is said, birds of a feather flock together and flock we did.  Yet, we had our factions.  There were Snipes, Twigits, Deck Apes, Skivvy Wavers, Sparks, Gunners and of course Zeros.  In order not to be factionless, every group had their varying levels of initiation to be a well working component of the group.  I was a sonar man so our hazing was rather mild like sending the new guy to the supply department for a box of Sonar contacts compared to the new Snipes that ended up with a butt full of #90 gear oil from a grease gun.

Sometimes our evolving comes about gently over time and other times it's an epiphany.  For me it's been more a string of epiphanies that has made me a better person depending on who you ask I suppose.

I was on the main deck.  That's the deck open to the sea coming up from below.  Going on up from the water is the 01(oh one), 02 (oh two) respectively; going down toward and under the water is the 1st deck, 2nd deck and so forth.   I was just coming out of the hanger bay heading for the hatch to the first deck when I crossed paths with a Third Class who's name is lost to me over time.  He pleasantly greeted me as we crossed paths.  As I put my foot on the first rung of the ladder I returned with a barrage of vile degrading obscenities and descended to the first deck and headed for the mess decks.  The mess decks was about 30 feet away.  By the time I entered the mess decks I stopped up short as it sunk into me as to what I jerk I was.  I turned around and went back up to the main deck and found the fellow and apologized to him.  Sadly, it was such a common occurrence by anyone that he stated he hadn't noticed my rude behavior.

I vowed that I would stop swearing and cussing.  I didn't cuss or swear before I joined the Navy and I was determined that I would return to that.  It wasn't easy.  I slipped from time to time, but being aware of it pulled me up short each time and the occurrences became further and further apart and now years and years apart. 

As the years move on and I became a Chief Petty officer it became evident to my fellow sailors I was not typical.  I didn't cuss, drink alcohol or coffee.  I was true to my word and expected the same.  I told my men that I didn't expect them to stop cursing if they wanted to only not to do it when they were talking to me.  There was a line on the evaluation forms for personal reviews that addressed "Expressing oneself well  orally and in writing".  Which is generally always marked with the highest marks.  I told my men that I did not consider swearing and cursing expressing oneself well.

I never have considered myself better or above any other.   Yet, when it comes to language I found I looked down my nose a little at foul mouthed people.   It seems a bit thoughtless, inconsiderate and slow minded for people to be foul.  

Of course, they are not all that all the time.  In the Bible I read in the Book of Matthew that which proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart.  I was unaware of that when I decided to stop cussing.  But now that I know that when I think about it, would anyone who realizes that their hearts harbors such foulness that they would spew it from the tongue.  Some people, yes but for most people is probably no.

I submit there is no good time for foul mouth cursing and swearing.  The argument that we are in an environment where everyone does, like being a sailor or a construction worker or a politician on open mike  doesn't hold water with me.