“What in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks did California lawmakers think they were doing?”

“Ah, yes, you speak of a resolution the California State Assembly passed recently to make the first week of March ‘Cuss-Free Week.’ It embraced the idea from a teenager who had formed a No Cussing Club in 2007 at his school.”

“But considering what California’s overzealous politicians have done to their state — spending, high taxes, high unemployment — cursing is one of the few occupations Californians have left!”

“You make a fair point. With a $20 billion deficit in the state’s budget — and many of the state’s lawmakers still living in denial about cuts that need to be made — some argue there are more important matters to deal with. The California Senate decided to shelve the resolution until the budget is dealt with.”

“They should kill the gosh-darn thing! Why should any state government try to control the words people use?”

“Good intentions. Some politicians feel that the resolution — unlike a law, a resolution has no penalties associated with it — might encourage more civility among citizens, something that has waned considerably in recent years.”

“Ah, put a sock in it. Cussing isn’t the cause of incivility — it is a symptom. People cuss because they are stressed, broke and worried about the future. When government bodies overstep their bounds, they encourage manners to get even worse!”

“Funny you mention that. Judith Martin, Miss Manners, says that good manners and etiquette are the philosophical basis of civilization. When manners are strong, people restrain their impulse to cuss or be rude and abrasive — without the need for government laws or resolutions.”

“Miss Manners said that. Kiss my grits!”

“The California resolution is mild compared to what some states have done. According to the First Amendment Center, South Carolina tried, last year, to impose criminal penalties of up to five years for cursing in public places. Many other states have laws that ‘prohibit profane, vulgar or blasphemous language.’”

“Well, ‘stuff’ on a shingle!”

“The U.S. Supreme Court clarified the matter in 1971. It reversed the conviction of a man who had worn a jacket into a California courthouse that displayed the words ‘(BLANK) the Draft.’ The court ruled that the state had no right to ‘cleanse public debate to the point where it is grammatically palatable to the most squeamish among us.’”

“Son of a bushel basket, I know how we can slash the deficit! We make our politicians cut spending by $1 every time they do something that causes us to cuss!”

“Now there’s an idea.”

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