Nikalas Kryzanowski, Opinions Editor

opinions @theotherpress.ca

Profanity insanity 5, ::ies0.

have changed, but not that much. There will always
:be people who are offended by what others consider
harmless language.

’ I’m not saying profanity should be
banned, or speech censored. When

], happens all the time. You’re standing in line‘at
the bookstore or sitting on the SkyTrain and the

person behind you, on their cell phone, or talking toa

friend, drops the f-bomb every second word. No big

deal, right? Profanity is now an accepted part of pop —

culture, music and entertainment. People use it all the
time and words once labelled “obscene” and “vulgar”
are so commonplace as to be almost meaningless.
Wrong. Think before unleashing that blue
streak, I say. Profane words have more weight,
more emotional effect, more cultural and/or sexual
force than you might think. Before using them, some
thought should be given to the effect these words will
have—on what’s being said or to whom might be
offended or hurt, especially when in a public place.
Acknowledge that other people most certainly have
different values and ideas about what is offensive.
Take the example of Kenneth Tynan, the man
recognized as being the first person to say “fuck”
on British TV. On the program BBC3, the writer
and theatre critic stated that “I doubt if there are any
rational people to whom ‘fuck’ would be particularly
diabolical, revolting or totally forbidden.”
Apparently not.
The public outrage this statement produced
forced the BBC to issue an apology for Tynan’s
words. Yes, this incident happened in 1965 and times

 
  
  
 
 
 
  
  
  

used alongside some
intellectual

activity the

use of vulgar language
can be liberating and draw attention
to aspects of society that need to be changed.

D. H. Lawrence produced public outrage with the
publication of his novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover. In it,
the word “fuck” is used about 30 times over the span

    

of 300 plus pages. I’d argue that Lawrence considered ’

. thé effect of the word “fuck” every time he'used it, and
‘ in so doing, used it thoughtfully and judiciously. The

use.of the word emphasizes the intensity and liberation
of Lady Chatterley’s sexual awakening. It also drew
attention to women’s sexuality in general during a
time when the subject was suppressed. Similarly,
NWA’s song “Fuck Tha Police” used profanity to add
strength and force to a song protesting racism and
police brutality. The song and its.title forced more
people to confront the reality of racism in America.’

Like Lawrence and NWA, if you’re going to
swear, be smart about it.

   

 

More shelter space won't solve homelessness

Lower Mainland.

 

 

promised —flatly, to end homelessness.

This winter’s heartbreaking tragedy of the burning death of a homeless woman
by the name of “Tracey,” illustrates that simply opening beds is not the answer. On
that cold night in December, a cardboard box she was sleeping in caught fire from
a candle she was using to keep warm. Apparently, over the course of that evening,
several citizens and several police officers tried to help her by attempting to coax

her into a shelter. She refused.

An editorial released immediately after the incident by a writer for the
Vancouver Sun, Daphne Bramham, suggested that we ought to be ashamed; that
living in one of the most affluent cities in North America we as Vancouverites “let”

this happen.

As sad as this tragedy is, I will not shoulder one ounce of blame. Short of
instituting better vagrancy laws that would allow police to forcibly bring the
homeless indoors on a cold night, people are left alone, as they should be. I get
angered by knee-jerk, usually left-leaning finger pointers, who cannot see that
people are responsible for their own decisions. However, I will agree that those
who cannot make their own decisions must have decisions made for them. The
mentally ill on the street must be treated like children in this respect.

According to Bramham, when a homeless man ran into a coffee shop yelling
for help he was ignored. Did she ever stop to think that coffee shop patrons are
not the heartless demons she implies? That maybe this shop had simply become
accustomed to the ravings of unsavoury types in the neighbourhood and thought,
perhaps logically, that this was another case of that? Perhaps “wolf” had been cried
many times before. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t care.

Again Bramham shows a lack of critical thought when she suggests that
“Tracey” probably didn’t go to the shelter because she would’ve been required to
leave her cart outside. First of all, the homeless don’t actually own these grocery
carts and they could be considered stolen property. Grocery stores pay hundreds,

Mos can lead a horse to water...

You know the rest of the adage, and we learned
during these harsh winter conditions that it holds true
when it comes to the tragedy of homelessness in the

Constantly, during the NPA years of local
government, there was a call by activist groups for more money and more shelter
beds to be opened in the area to offer a refuge for street people.

As soon as new mayor Gregor Robertson took over the keys to city hall he

possessions.

even thousands of dollars for these carts only to have them swiped, so cart
“ownership” can be immediately called into question here, and rightfully belong
back at the grocery store from where they were taken. Secondly, carts take up an
incredible amount of space. A shelter’s priority, rightfully, ought to be people, not

Another point about the shelters is that they are often infested with bedbugs,

crackheads and thieves..I hate to say this, but I’m not sure that sleeping in a urine
soaked alley strewn with garbage is any better than bedbugs, while crackheads and
thieves exist in larger numbers outside the shelters than inside.

The solution to this tragedy, according to Bramham is to simply throw more money

at beds, more housing, while ignoring the point illustrated by the horrific case—that

just because the space is there, doesn’t mean that it will be utilized.

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