I just saw on the news that there's this kid who started a "No Cussing" club. Wouldn't work for me, because I cuss like a sailor, but hey, it's a great idea, especially for kids and for adults who use excessively strong language in public around other people's kids. I can't tell you how disgusted I was not long ago when a group of men on my train were using the F-word (among others) every other sentence, loudly, for hours — with small children in the seats around them.
Anyway, so this kid starts this club. And he's received 60,000 threatening emails about it. People have threatened HIS LIFE. All for starting a club where people watch their rude language???
WHY are people so threatened by this? Why are people threatened by personal choices others make? I've found this with my vegetarian lifestyle — for some reason, people are offended by my diet choices. I've been attacked, both up-front and passive-aggressively, for not eating meat. Why? How does what I eat or don't eat affect anyone else?
And why would some kid's verbal choices make people SO angry that they'd threaten to KILL him over it? So…not cussing is bad, but killing a kid isn't?
Anyway, this just really annoyed me. The website, if you're curious (and don't want to send a threatening email :) ) for the kid's club is www.nocussing.com
Have a nice weekend, everyone!
Why are people threatened by different choices? Well, beyond the fact that immense majority of people are assholes (call me Pollyanna), certain choices make them see themselves in what they perceive to be a negative light.
You don’t eat meat–for whatever reasons–they see it as a direct criticism of their choices. The kid wants to gather like minded people who won’t curse, they see that as pointing the finger at them, because they do.
Hmmm… I think it goes back to “most people are assholes”
Hi Larissa:
Great post. I hope you have a good weekend too.
I don’t know what to say with respect to the kind of idiocy you are describing here. The human race never ceases to astound me.
I too am a vegetarian and I too curse in appropriate company (certainly not around children). However, I would never think to force my choices on another.
Why people would feel the need to threaten a youngster for starting a club for like-mined kids is a mystery.
It comes down to ignorance really. People are great to spout about freedom of choice and rights but when it comes right down to it they don’t want others to exercise those rights outside of their limited parameters.
Sad, very sad.
Take Care
L
LOL–OMG, that’s funny.
Sigh. There’s a reason I don’t usually watch the news and have cut WAY back on my internet surfing. Every time I turn around, someone is behaving like an asshat.
And there’s nothing wrong with a Pollyanna! *g* I’ve found that positive Pollyanna-ism is much more conducive to being creative than negative asshole-ism! ;-)
Lea, I’m with you. Very sad. I think Azteclady has a point, and my husband brought up the idea of fear. These are people who fear that the choices others make might lead to legislation that could push those choices on them.
But sheesh, it’s not like the no-cuss kid is out lobbying congress to have cussers flogged or something. There are already laws on the books against cussing in public in many places…but this kid isn’t pushing for enforcement.
Still, maybe people are afraid that his movement will lead to tougher penalties, which will infringe upon their rights?
It’s just weird. This is a 14-YO kid. Death threats? A little extreme.
Very sad! :(
People are sad. This is a really great idea by a child who just wants us to have a little bit more respect for one another.
I should join the club because sometimes I curse like a truck driver.
Good grief. People (in general) are just stupid. And all need to be shipped of Uranus where they belong.
And just for the record, I’m NOT a vegetarian but I have absolutely no problem with your being one.
*sigh* That should be shipped off to Uranus.
Katiebabs, exactly — that kid is all about respect. Guess that’s bad in today’s society. And LOL–I really should join too, but I’m afraid it might have to carry over into my books, and I just can’t take the cussing out of books with demons in them! :lol:
Tori, I like the Uranus idea! *g*
See, the club? it’s a voluntary thing. Having millions–or a handful–of people challenging themselves not to cuss (or to lose weight, or to read more, or to learn tai-chi, or whatever on earth they like to) doesn’t affect my (or anyone else’s) freedom to indulge in any other behaviour–from eating cakes until I can’t move to cussing until the air is so blue it’s unbreathable.
His freedom to choose doesn’t take away my freedom to choose. Why can’t more people see that?
Le sigh. A child starts a club and people threaten to kill him…This should not surprise me but it does. So very sad.
>>Pollyanna-ism is much more conducive to being creative than negative asshole-ism!
Wow so i guess saying those assholes need to drink bleach wouldn’t be very conducive to creativity huh? :lol:
LOL–omg, Ames, you crack me up!
Wow! That is F’d up! I don’t understand people and why they feel other people HAVE to do/think/believe like they do. It validates many people to have their choices reinforced by other people’s choices.
On the vegetarian thing, a lot of people don’t eat very healthy and feel really self conscious about it. Now not all vegetarians are healthy eaters. Some of them are potato chip and cupcake vegetarians, hehe. But if someone who feels inadequate or insecure about their own eating choices, comes across a vegetarian they can be really threatened by it.
When I was losing weight and going to the gym all the time, I actually ran into people who were freaked out and threatened by that.
People have a strong desire to maintain the status quo, and to try to make everybody else maintain it with them. Anyone who aspires for anything higher for themselves, even if they aren’t pushing it on others, is the enemy.