Dropping the F-Bomb

This editorial ran in the Washington Post on November 4th: "Is It Legal to Curse at Police? Hell, Yeah."

The editorial is based on an incident in which a local reporter dropped the "f-bomb" (twice) on a local police officer, who then threw him to the ground, pinned him, handcuffed him, and arrested him for "disorderly conduct and avoiding arrest," but not with "profanely curs(ing) ... in public," which is, in Fairfax County, a Class 4 Misdemeanor*.

Well, as far as I've observed around here, “if any person profanely curse or swear or be drunk in public, he shall be deemed guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor**,” Virginia could probably eliminate all income, property, and personal property taxes and still have plenty of money left over to help offset that $1.5 trillion deficit from the GOP tax reform plan, just from all the $250 fines on people cursing in public. And that's just from teenage conversations at the local mall.

Personally, I find the "f-bomb" to be pretty distasteful, although I have been known to drop it myself on occasions when I'm enraged beyond civility by the ass clownery of the moment. And it goes without saying that the reporter in this case is guilty of profoundly bad judgement (as well as poor linguistic manners).

So, Dear Readers, here's today's question: what's your favorite - and most civil - curse word? Does gosh-darn-it! or mother of pearl!*** or the like always work, or are there times when only the f-bomb will do? Leave a comment.

For more of my thoughts on cursing, read this post from back in August.

Have a good day, gosh darn it! More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* Punishable by a fine of not more than $250.

** Fairfax County Code, §5-1-1.

*** A favorite of mine from W. C. Fields.