2008 Woodie Awards
Dropping the F-Bomb
A Simple Grievance
Jarrod Moore
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Opinion
Since I was a toddling slick-haired church-boy clad in the finest (outsourced) clothing in America as I dropped to my knees every Sunday, praying for forgiveness for allowing my Cobra Commander figurine to kill Usagi Yojimbo free of repercussion, I still never understood why "swear words" (like the one I'm sure I spoke for Yojimbo as his ears were cut off) were any more offensive then regular words with negative tones.
Recently, a college news publication in Fort Collins, Colorado was the center of controversy and debate as its editorial said four simple words "Taser this… Fuck Bush!"
While this was equally as immature as Alaska high-schooler Joseph Frederick's "Bong hits 4 Jesus" sign in 2002, there are still very important social and political issues to be learned from it.
Needless to say, this utilization of free speech on campus sent the local Young Republicans into an uproar. But I thought the whole idea behind the Republican party was keeping things individual and in the family; not worrying about your neighbor?
So how does the word "fuck" uttered by someone not in their family affect them? Because the Grand Old Party, despite claiming to be the fighters for freedom and liberty, wants nothing more than to suppress any ideal that may be different than their own; even if it happens to be an utterance of three consonants and a vowel they find distasteful.
When I'm discussing a specific ex-girlfriend who cheated on me, what's the difference between saying "Fuck that stupid whore" and "I hope she rots in Hell for all eternity servicing Satan and all of his minions?"
One is acceptable by the GOP's exclusive freedom of speech policy, and one is seen as plebian gutter-speak. So, in essence, it's perfectly fine to say awful, disgusting things about people as long as no "fucks" or "shits" jump in the conversation.
I can't say "Fuck Bush," by their standards, but I can say "Bush is an idiot who has no place in office and probably sucks his mother's thumb whilst enjoying a rather rambunctious ramming of the anal orifice from his entire cabinet and calling out sexual favors to Congress for support of his overseas oedipal endeavors."
Recently, a college news publication in Fort Collins, Colorado was the center of controversy and debate as its editorial said four simple words "Taser this… Fuck Bush!"
While this was equally as immature as Alaska high-schooler Joseph Frederick's "Bong hits 4 Jesus" sign in 2002, there are still very important social and political issues to be learned from it.
Needless to say, this utilization of free speech on campus sent the local Young Republicans into an uproar. But I thought the whole idea behind the Republican party was keeping things individual and in the family; not worrying about your neighbor?
So how does the word "fuck" uttered by someone not in their family affect them? Because the Grand Old Party, despite claiming to be the fighters for freedom and liberty, wants nothing more than to suppress any ideal that may be different than their own; even if it happens to be an utterance of three consonants and a vowel they find distasteful.
When I'm discussing a specific ex-girlfriend who cheated on me, what's the difference between saying "Fuck that stupid whore" and "I hope she rots in Hell for all eternity servicing Satan and all of his minions?"
One is acceptable by the GOP's exclusive freedom of speech policy, and one is seen as plebian gutter-speak. So, in essence, it's perfectly fine to say awful, disgusting things about people as long as no "fucks" or "shits" jump in the conversation.
I can't say "Fuck Bush," by their standards, but I can say "Bush is an idiot who has no place in office and probably sucks his mother's thumb whilst enjoying a rather rambunctious ramming of the anal orifice from his entire cabinet and calling out sexual favors to Congress for support of his overseas oedipal endeavors."
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