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My Yes/No question is:
Does a ban on swearing violate human rights?
My answer is:
Yes, banning offensive language violates the right to free speech. Although their intentions might be good, the actions of the city council are immoral, and good intentions cannot make a wrong action into a right one. I greatly dislike foul language, and almost never use it: when extremely angry once or twice a year, something might slip out (most often a strong, loud "Shit!"), but the words that the city council has failed to spell out as banned are not words I normally use. Most of my friends use such language more than I do, although not a lot. I guess the people I know who swear the most are couple of my brothers and sisters and my mother (whom I will not quote), who sometimes resorts to foul language to express her feelings about topics that excite her. But although I dislike it, I don't think my dislike is a good reason to stop others expressing themselves in the language that works for them. And I have to admit that there is no failure to communicate at least her emotions on my mother's part, or my other nearest and dearests who go in for that sort of thing.
Of course, in some contexts, such language is not appropriate, and I have no problem with private bodies banning such language. I might ask people not to do it in my home, just as I tell people that they can't smoke in my home, but it's not the government's business to be limiting what people say, even if what is being said is worthless filth. I also find the expression of many ideas offensive, but thankfully today most societies agree that it's not acceptable to censor or ban religious speech, or anti-religious speech, although there remain some obvious exceptions to this such as the despotic governments of Saudi Arabia, who still torture or imprison citizens as Christian nations used to for questioning the popular religion.
And while my AEP classes sometimes read novels that use swearing, for example John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, which some misguided Americans regularly want to ban from schools and libraries because of the language (Lea, 2015; American Library Association, n.d.), I would probably suggest some rewriting if it appeared in piece of academic work without a relevant reason. In fact, since we are here to study and practice academic means of communication, I would feel comfortable banning swearing except where an academic purpose required it.
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References
American Library Association. (n.d.). Banned & Challenged Classics. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics
Lea, R. (2015, May 7). Idaho parents push for schools to ban Of Mice and Men for its 'profanities'. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/07/idaho-parents-profane-of-mice-and-men-banned-schools-john-steinbeck
Swearing ban: Is it against your human rights? (2016, March 3). BBC newsbeat. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35715756/swearing-ban-is-it-against-your-human-rights
I was very annoyed this morning, when I was rushing to conclude this post before leaving for work, where I start at 8:00 AM on weekends, that the American Library Association, who is the group author of the source I decided to cite in my response, has such a long name. The Guardian's Mr. Lea (the R. stands for Richard), in contrast, is wonderfully short.
ReplyDeleteI almost never cite sources in my response writing, but I already knew these existed, so decided to quickly include them to support my idea. And of course, that decision meant the two extra Reference citations had to added for readers who might want to follow up.
It's another example of our slightly more academic version of response writing.
DeleteYes, it violates the right to free speech. Any authorities should not ban on what we think and what we say. If someone said "foul and abusive language”in the public areas, it would be a matter of the person who said and it is just a shameful deed of the person. At the same time, we can learn what other people bluntly think about matters in their ways. Even if it's radical and rude in manner, to understand other people's opinions and situations will be important for the way of solution of the matter. There will be a way by knowing a fact. It's rather a fearful society If our words are controlled by the local government.
ReplyDeleteThere is a proverb of discipline in Japan, "Know Heaven, know the earth and know myself". It means what we say and do is always watched by heaven, the earth and conscience of ourselves. I feel sorry for the people who give voice of swearing.