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Date: 10/30/2019
Recently, I was looking at a Facebook post by a noted local conservative “friend” who took mighty umbrage at a report involving State Rep. Daniel Hunt, a Democrat who represents Suffolk’s 13th district.
Hunt was the subject of much criticism from this conservative voice and his friends concerning a bill he introduced.
Naturally.
The bill was suggested by a constituent and would in part create a fine for the use of the word “bitch” when used as an insult.
The bill reads in part, “A person who uses the word ‘bitch’ directed at another person to accost, annoy, degrade or demean the other person shall be considered to be a disorderly person in violation of this section, and shall be subject to the penalties provided in subsections (a) and (b). A violation of this subsection may be reported by the person to whom the offensive language was directed at or by any witness to such incident.”
Hunt explained on Twitter, “One of the responsibilities of all representatives is to serve as a conduit for direct petitions from our constituents to the General Court. It’s a long-held tradition that gives every Massachusetts resident a voice inside the halls of the State House and a chance to raise their personal interests before the Legislature. While this specific instance may amuse some and alarm others, it remains an important process for self-representation.”
Hunt has not yet said if he would support the bill himself.
Naturally the Facebookers fell all over themselves talking about the bill is stupid and would never pass, an erosion of our freedom of speech and typical of Democrats trying to micromanage people’s lives.
When in doubt, bring out the traditional talking points.
This is what I wanted to write in response as this is about a state rep. doing his job for a constituent. The bill is never going to be passed. All of us know that.
It’s not part of the so-called culture wars as much as some people would like it to be. Why? The logic is that many people who call themselves “conservative” also would identify as being “religious.” Wouldn’t many religious people welcome an effort to decrease public profanity?
The bill does perhaps open up a larger discussion about civility in public, a topic that should cross party lines. I’m sure the attention paid to this bill will soon be replaced by other exercise in outrage.
The word in question has become one that is of common use. As a verb, it means to complain. It is also a potent curse word with several meanings depending upon its use.
Like most profanity it occupies an odd position in language: common for some people and troublesome for others.
While I do blurt out bad language, I try to keep these outbursts within an appropriate setting. I try and naturally I fail sometimes because I am an ink-stained wretch with bad habits.
It’s not just the words themselves, but the context in which they are used.
A man who used profanity as part of his relaxed speech raised me. There were words and phrases he used daily, while other words he never uttered. I always enjoyed and admired his use of profanity unless of course it was directed at me. I come by my own bad habits naturally.
The trouble with using profanity today is that people use certain words in a way so their meaning is not precise. It’s lazy to drop certain word bombs instead of saying what is actually being meant.
At times of reflection I turn to the people I admire for guidance, among them, Mark Twain who wrote frequently about profanity. I’ll leave you with some of his quotes:
• “The idea that no gentleman ever swears is all wrong. He can swear and still be a gentleman if he does it in a nice and benevolent and affectionate way.” - Private and Public Morals speech, 1906
• “When angry count four; when very angry, swear.”
- “Pudd’nhead Wilson’s Calendar”
• “There ought to be a room in every house to swear in. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that.” - “Mark Twain, a Biography”
• “Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.” - “Mark Twain, a Biography”