What The $#$%? LA County Tries For Cuss-Free Week

LOS ANGELES — Pay no attention to that eerie silence in the nation's most populous county this week; it will simply be the sound of 10 million people not cussing.

At least that's the result McKay Hatch is hoping for once his campaign to clear the air is recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

On Tuesday, the board is scheduled to issue a proclamation by Supervisor Michael Antonovich making the first week in March No Cussing Week.

That would mean no blue language from the Mojave desert, where it gets hot as $&# in the summer, to the Pacific Ocean, where on a winter's day it can get colder and nastier than %$#!

Not that 15-year-old Hatch expects complete compliance. When his No Cussing Club meets at South Pasadena High School on Wednesdays it's not unusual for a nonmember to throw open the door and fire off a torrent of four-letter words. He's also been the target of organized harassment by pro-cussers.

And Antonovich's county motion carries no penalties.

"But it's a good reminder for all of us, not just young people but everybody, to be respectful to one another and watch the words we use," said the supervisor's spokesman, Tony Bell.

The county isn't the first entity to try to put the lid on swearing. Hatch's hometown of South Pasadena declared itself a cuss-free zone for a week last March, and two years ago a high school in Canada threatened to suspend repeat cussers.

Hatch has lofty goals.

"Next year I want to try to get California to have a cuss-free week. And then, who knows, maybe worldwide," said the 10th grader, who believes if people treat each other with more civility they can better work together to solve bigger problems.

He said his campaign began to form about the time he hit seventh grade when he noticed his friends beginning to swear, something his family didn't allow.

He formed the No Cussing Club and invited others to join. Soon the group had a Web site, bright orange T-shirts, a hip hop theme song and inquiries from all over from people interested in joining. He estimates 20,000 people have formed similar clubs.

"It's not about forcing anyone to stop, just to bring awareness," he says of the movement. "If you can do a week without cussing, maybe you can do two weeks. And then maybe a month."

___

On the Net:

No Cussing Club: http://www.nocussing.com/

Comments

[Anonmoose]

07:18 PM on 03/03/2009

excuse me just a moment ..........

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK YOU! :)

[JScott]

11:22 AM on 03/03/2009

Folks I work for LA county and nothing about this has come across our email. But where I work we use the 4 letter words but DISCREETLY and SPARINGLY!!!!

[larry278]

01:20 AM on 03/03/2009

I'll be a son of a bitch; that damned anti-cussing campaign in LA County may, GD, work.

[Amy9382]

12:18 AM on 03/03/2009

I appreciate the premise of the cause and certainly agree that we need some mutual respect in order to work with people that we don't agree with or particularly care for. Nothing that a good education can't help. But, this sounds a tad too Victorian to me. First of all we don't have the resources for this and second we don't need government recommending how we speak to each other and what language to use. To launch this as a private initiative is one thing, but please don't take up our government's time with this!

[ramblingjohnny]

11:32 PM on 03/02/2009

Our tax at work and peoples wonder why California is F'ing broke!

[neurolux]

10:11 PM on 03/02/2009

When people overuse curse words, they lose their edge. It also makes the speaker look stupid when he uses a curse word for every other word. These words are magical. Save them for emergencies, or when it's really, REALLY funny.

[ecotopian]

10:50 PM on 03/02/2009

Oh, why? They're just words. Really.

Maybe you should listen to George Carlin. He can explain it better.

[Economike]

02:09 PM on 03/02/2009

I love to swear.

[Bitsko]

01:34 PM on 03/02/2009

Get the eff outta here! That's not how we liberals roll, baby!

[CitizenRob]

01:22 PM on 03/02/2009

Blue laws are fun.

First it's an honorary week. Next it's the law.

[YouDisgustMe]

12:31 PM on 03/02/2009

jumping jellyfishes! no cursing for a week? i couldn't do it

[Prakosh]

12:07 PM on 03/02/2009

I am not too surprised by this. This is the same state that gave us Nixon and Reagan, two of the more morally minded presidents in the country's history. And for all of its reputation as a blue state, there are some pretty d@nm red areas of Southern California.

[Economike]

02:07 PM on 03/02/2009

You could be reported to the House UnCalifornian Affairs Commitee for that comment.

[Danind]

12:03 PM on 03/02/2009

Asking adults not to swear is analogous to asking them to wear bibs while they eat. Its asinine. The reason we tell our children not to swear is because they haven't yet learned how to do it properly; i.e., they can use it during appropriate times and intentionally or unintentionally hurt others with their words. Our consensus is that since adults tend to use more discretion in their behavior, the swear words are entrusted to them.

Treating people civilly and swearing are two different things, contrary to the speculation of these kids. Saying ugly things and using "bad" language are two different things. It is very easy to say ugly things without swearing, and there are many phrases with swear words in them which, may be considered crude, but are not intended to offend or hurt others.

So, have the motives for this really been thought out logically? Is swearing an absolute negative?

[CitizenRob]

01:23 PM on 03/02/2009

hear! hear!

I'm going to declare that same week "Cuss constantly week"

[JimMan35]

01:52 PM on 03/03/2009

I'm in LA and I'm making a conscious effort to add more swearing to my language. In the appropriate situations, of course! I've talked with others who are doing the same.

[JimMan35]

02:17 PM on 03/02/2009

Infantilization. It's the mormon way! That's how they keep everyone from thinking and figuring out that their entire organization is built on a scam.

[niblik]

11:19 AM on 03/02/2009

Blistering Barnacles!

[gjohntheterrible]

12:17 PM on 03/02/2009

Thundering Typhoons you pockmark

[filo]

12:30 PM on 03/02/2009

Godfrey Daniel !!

[Mitch McFadden]

11:12 AM on 03/02/2009

"He's also been the target of organized harassment by pro-cussers."

Awesome. I think I'm officially changing my stance to "pro-cusser".

[MathIsTruth]

10:11 AM on 03/02/2009

It is curious that most "swear" words refer to mythological concepts, normal biological processes or components, or female canines. None of these are things we should really have problems talking about.

On the other hand, it is equally curious that we can use a lot of other words and phrases without fear of censorship despite their horrible obscenity:

War in Iraq
Warrantless wire-tapping
Torture
Mingling of Church and State
Defense of Marriage Act
etc...