***The Use Of Vulgarities, Obscenities & Swearing In Public Speaking

Because we as a people are losing our sense of decency, vulgarities are becoming the norm in our everyday life: we see it in people’s actions; we see it in the entertainment world; we hear it in conversation on a daily basis. So how do we judge what is appropriate in public speaking? The best advice I can give is to use the language that is read in print (not fiction) and not the language being heard on TV or on the radio.

The problem for many of our young people today is that they are unaware of what is considered indecent because they were never taught the basic fundamentals of good conduct by their parents. In fact, were you to ask those in their 20’s and early 30’s to define the words, vulgarity, obscenity, and swearing, I am confident that many would not know the differences.

And, because of political correctness, teachers are often unwilling to correct the students. An advocate of free speech, I am, however, saddened as well as incensed that our lack of decency has resulted in any and all vulgarities, obscenities, and common swear words now being considered the norm.

Defined by Webster’s Dictionary as being “offensive in language,” vulgarities have no place in public speaking. The word fr_gging, for example, is defined by the dictionary as being a vulgarity; it is also a word that you never read in the newspaper, unless the writer is quoting someone. But, we are hearing that word on a daily basis not just from adults but from our children as well.

Another vulgarity that has become a commonality is the word p_e. Having been taught as a child that that particular word was crass, I was taken back when my first child entered pre-kindergarten and heard the teachers using that word over and over again. To this day, that word still ‘hurts’ my ears much like hearing someone say, “It don’t work that way” or “Me and him did it.”

According to Webster’s, obscenities refer to those words which are “disgusting to the senses; abhorrent to morality or virtue – specifically designed to incite to lust or depravity; coarse.” And, while obscenities may not yet be heard on our 3 major broadcast networks, I am confident that it is only a matter of time before we will hear these ‘choice’ words as well.

Why not use questionable language in public speaking if we’re hearing it in normal everyday conversation? Because you will, without a doubt, offend some of us. Using vulgarities or obscenities in public reflects on you. It is crass, crude, and coarse. It shows that you have no taste, no class, and no respect for others.

The purpose of public speaking is to move your audience to action in some fashion – to buy your product; to agree with your political bent; to believe in your defendant’s innocence; the list goes on and on. Bottom line, however, is that you are selling something. Should you offend your audience, it is quite possible that one of your ‘offendees’ is that one person who holds the keys to your future. That one person may be the individual ready to offer you the deal of a lifetime, the contract you’ve been negotiating, the job you’ve always wanted. Is it worth the vulgarity, the obscenity, or the common swear word?

The use of questionable language is a little like sex – best kept private. Stick to the rule that if it’s not ‘fit to print’ then it’s not ‘fit to say’ in any form of public speaking.