That blankety-blank Leader

Posted

In recent months, several cusswords have appeared in The Leader.

An F-bomb, the S-word and some of the lesser verbs and nouns by which great emphasis is added to everyday sentences.

Callers and friends on the street have asked if we’ve rewritten the rules and that’s a good question.

Should we act as though people don’t talk that way and leave all such language out of the paper?

Should we wink at it and say “S___” when someone uses the English version of every Frenchman’s favorite word?

Do we adopt cable television’s standards, in which cusswords flow frequently, depending on the character and the situation? Some think it coarsens the culture, but others say it’s a teaching opportunity for parents who object.

Lately we have drifted toward Mark Twain’s theory on this: “When angry count four; when very angry, swear. It’s dangerous to have to repress an emotion like that. Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.”

I wouldn’t say every cussword we’ve printed has had the urgency of prayer, but certainly the sinking of Bertie fits the bill.

Let’s hear what you think as we come up with a consistent approach to reflecting reality or editing it a bit.

-Dean Miller, Editor