Free speech

[intowiz]

yer except you can be arrested for protesting.

[Hermionefan5]

I also heard somewhere that speech meant to cause hazards (such as shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre/cinema so people get trampled while trying to escape when there really is no fire) is not protected speech.

Oh yeah, I forgot that one.

[eastlondonluke]

Some times its not all ways so called free speach but i just go ahead and say what ever i think is true,stand up for what ya belive in dats what i say

[the monk in question]

If they sat down and really thought about what they were saying, they might not want to swear so much. It is crude and impolite and shows a very poor grasp of the English language.

Thats not true. I curse rather frequently and I've got a pretty good vocabulary and have had some very good grades in English, especially creative writing.

[Dan]

yer except you can be arrested for protesting.

You can't be arrested for PEACEFUL protesting. It's fair to arrest someone for throwing eggs at Gordon Brown and yelling profanities at police.

If they sat down and really thought about what they were saying, they might not want to swear so much. It is crude and impolite and shows a very poor grasp of the English language.

Thats not true. I curse rather frequently and I've got a pretty good vocabulary and have had some very good grades in English, especially creative writing.

You're right but excessive swearing is definitely inpolite.

[the monk in question]

yer except you can be arrested for protesting.

You can't be arrested for PEACEFUL protesting. It's fair to arrest someone for throwing eggs at Gordon Brown and yelling profanities at police.

If they sat down and really thought about what they were saying, they might not want to swear so much. It is crude and impolite and shows a very poor grasp of the English language.

Thats not true. I curse rather frequently and I've got a pretty good vocabulary and have had some very good grades in English, especially creative writing.

You're right but excessive swearing is definitely inpolite.

Nah, I don't think so. If you gotta use certain words to express yourself and say what you feel about somethin' then I say fair enough.

[Steph]

Re the swearing issue, maybe it's just me but I find that I am more likely to take people's arguments on and respect them if they phrase them in a non-offensive way. People can still express very strong feelings on things without feeling the need to swear. A lot of hugely successful and life changing people such as Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela managed to make huge changes in their societies without resorting to bad language to get the strength of their feelings across. I know those are extreme examples but the point I am trying to make is you can express the same feelings in a way that is more likely to make people listen and respond to you.

[Dan]

Nah, I don't think so. If you gotta use certain words to express yourself and say what you feel about somethin' then I say fair enough.

Used sparingly they can be effective. Used excessively they just demean your argument and frankly make people not take you seriously.

[the monk in question]

In response to the swearing being offensive debate going on here, the only reason its perceived as offensive is thats what you elders have led you believe.

[Remus]

I personally don't mind swearing myself in moderation but as long as you either swearing at yourself or about an issue. I find swearing offensive when used against people and pointed at them. Nobody wants to get curse words flying towards them and if someone does have an issue with me whether it be a disagreement or something else, I expect a level of maturity and if someone is shouting and swearing me, I'm just not going to bother to respond to them.

[the monk in question]

I personally don't mind swearing myself in moderation but as long as you either swearing at yourself or about an issue. I find swearing offensive when used against people and pointed at them. Nobody wants to get curse words flying towards them and if someone does have an issue with me whether it be a disagreement or something else, I expect a level of maturity and if someone is shouting and swearing me, I'm just not going to bother to respond to them.

I agree with what your saying about how it can be an offensive insult to use towards a person, but I'm not opposed to its use in relation to a situation or an object.

[parnassus]

Swearing is hardly some kind of subversive reaction to puritanical expectations laid down by the adults in your life, especially as swearing is socially acceptable in many contexts. You can hear it on TV, in the street, and at the workplace. Most of my elders do swear. It's hard to package it as a form of rebellion or the mark of an independent mind.

I don't judge people for swearing on a personal level. I do find that it intimidates me and it can also encourage laziness in language. I've met people who use f*****g as one of their principal adjectives, and while they may be very well-read and have good ideas and all the rest of it, it doesn't show when they swear. All it does is tire the listener.

[Steph]

I once met a guy who used "f*****g" as a word filler instead of "and um". That's the sort of swearing that I really don't get. I know I may be judged harshly for admitting this but I also find swearing excessively a real turn off when it comes to potential boyfriends. As I said, I know it might not make me popular but that's just a personal preference of mine.

[Dan]

In response to the swearing being offensive debate going on here, the only reason its perceived as offensive is thats what you elders have led you believe.

If someone says "you know" or "ermm" a lot it ALSO demeans their argument. This is what I'm getting at, excessive use of any word gets tiring and makes listening difficult.

[Alice]

Apart from the fact that, lets face it, swearing makes you seem less intelegent and rather badly brought up, swearing too often makes it dificult to make an impact. The last time I used the F word, it a) shocked everyone and b) drew attention to what I was saying. Most pepole can't do anything to get that kind of effect, because they use all the swearwords they know all the time. I almost never swear, so it's easier for me to make an impact.