Swearing acts as 'ultimate offense'

I read with some interest the article proffered by Shawn McGann on the topic of swearing. Mr. McGann is totally incorrect in his belief that different words used in the same context are merely synonyms. Every word we utter or write has a social weight assigned to it regardless of the context in which it is used. If this were not true, words and short phrases spray-painted as graffiti would be meaningless. In fact, they do exactly what they were intended to do, portray an image of contempt due to the inherent offensive nature of the words themselves. Words are not merely abstract combinations of letters arranged to allow us to illicit sounds but verbal expressions of our emotions and thoughts. Swearing has never been considered, in any cultured society, a form of communication that should be tolerated in the least degree or as merely an expression put in an alternative form. Nor is swearing a type of communication that should be addressed nonchalantly by any receiver who should then "just brush it off." Swearing is the ultimate offense that can be hurled toward another person either as a written or spoken message. Swearing, however casually offered by the user, is nothing more than a means used to vent our emotions toward another human being or event that we consider worthy of our outrage. Swearing may very well fall into the realm of those who are unable to express themselves in an educated manner, but that should never be an excuse that we accept in any component of our society. Swearing is simply a public exhibition of anger that degrades and erodes the very foundation of our society in general. We should never be passive to such attacks.

Dr. Mark Bannatyne

School of Technology

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