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I was considering giving up swearing for Lent. Not so much because I think it’s a bad habit, or even that I do it too much (and I do it a lot), but mostly because it’s so natural to me that I have a hard time mitigating it—which causes me to do it at inappropriate times.
I didn’t. I gave up smoking instead—which I think is probably going to do me much more good in the long run.
Nevertheless, I can kind of see why the California Legislature would want to have a “Cuss Free Week,” which was supposed to have taken place the first week of March. Inspired by wholesome Pasadena teenager McKay Hatch, who started a website called www.nocussing.com, the California House passed the resolution on Feb. 25.
Hatch told several news organizations that he saw a connection between cussing and things like drug use and bullying. What that connection was, exactly, was not clear.
It was also unclear at the time whether or not the California Legislature might have better things to do than fuck around with fluff resolutions—like, oh, say, balancing out that state’s enormous deficit. That, as it turned out, was indeed the case for the state Senate (as opposed to the House): The resolution is still waiting to get on the floor of that assembly.
Brent Hatch, father of young McKay, was distressed: “This is basically saying to people, especially kids, ‘We don’t care what you do,’” he told the Mormon Times.
I’d argue it’s saying something more like this: “We don’t care about your vocabulary choices. Unless you’re on television—then we’ll fine you an enormous amount of money.” The resolution, furthermore, would have been backed by no enforcement anyway—which is saying something more like “We don’t care, but if you’ll shut up, fine.”
But let’s say, hypothetically, that the California House is concerned about things like drug use and bullying. Wouldn’t it be smarter to just tackle drug use and bullying than some peripheral non-issue? It’s like when they banned trench coats in high schools after Columbine: Making kids wear ski coats will not stop them from shooting up the school. They’ll just shoot it up wearing festive colors.
McKay may believe in his cause—he’s young—but I’m betting lawmakers see this as a fine red herring: “Uh, social problems? Look over there!”
Then again, as far as cynical diversions go, this one is pretty harmless.
So why not? Fuck it.
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