Nation, media over flowing with profanity
by Chris Taylo.r, editor-in-chief

    Last week I was in a seminar where a guy from a television station was talking about the business. As part of his presentation, he showed some footage of the WTC attacks.

    The footage showed the second plane crash into the building and explode. The audio that accompanied the video included a man in the background yelling the f-word at the moment of impact. After the collision, a woman can be heard yelling “Jesus f-word Christ.”

    That is probably a reasonable response to a s

cene like that unfolding on the television before your eyes.
    However, a quick scan of some other college papers, in which students were quoted on their feelings about the attacks, include a considerable amount of casual swearing.

    Many of the quotes include the words “hell, damn and ass.”

    It would appear people were in shock after the attacks and possibly didn’t care about the language they used.

    Since the attacks, I have received e-mails with clever little pictures included.

    One showed the Statue of Liberty giving the finger; another had the WTC rebuilt in the shape of a hand also giving the finger, and then, my personal favorite, a stealth bomber with the phrase “If you can read this, you’re f____d,” on the front of the plane.

    All the profanity has been good for a chuckle or two, but I’m starting to get a little bothered by it ... not because I think it’s obscene or vile, but because it just lacks imagination.

    We come from a country that has used eloquent phrases to stir people to war, such as “A day that will live in infamy” and “Give me Liberty or Give me Death.”

    These are great words that carry a lot of weight with them, but we get stuck with profanity.

    I don’t really have a problem with swearing, and I found myself throwing out a few more than normal Sept. 11.

    Most people probably reacted as I did, but I just hope that swearing doesn’t become the norm. It’s easier to throw out some profanity, but that doesn’t necessarily make it better.

    So what is the solution to the profanity problem?

    Hell if I know.