Posted by
Playful Walrus on Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:18:29 PM
McKay Hatch has gotten worldwide publicity for his “anti-cussing” efforts; reporters have found it an interesting topic, probably due in part to newrooms being a place where you can hear language that would make a sailor blush. I’m sure he’s inspiring many more people to join his effort, which includes personal conduct, a high school club, a website, and a whole city-declared week recognizing the effort.
That city would be South Pasadena, California. The city is small by southern California standards (about 3 square miles, 25,000 people), but it is known for a small-town feel that includes families staying for generations, even though it is part of a continuous suburban sprawl, bordering the City of Los Angeles, and of course, the City of Pasadena. It was one of the earliest incorporated cities in Los Angeles County; it continues to have its own highly-regarded school district, fire department, and police department; it is the city that has prevented the completion of the I-710 Long Beach Freeway for something like 40 years; it has served as the location for countless film, television, and commercial shoots and as the home of various celebrities; it funds and builds its own Tournament of Roses float every year; it used to be the home of grocery chain Trader Joe’s and still has one of the original stores; it is home to other significant businesses such as Cogent Systems.
So what’s the big deal about cussing? Well, yes, there are plenty of things in the world worse than foul language. But swearing, cussing, or whatever you want to call it, is like graffiti for the ears. It’s like broken windows. Especially for children, it assaults their innocence and creates a negative environment. Language can have an impact on how people feel about themselves, and how they treat others. So often, cussing is used to put other people down, or express hatred or pessimism, or to avoid dealing with truth or the problem at hand. And, so often, it degrades lovemaking and even our bodies.
So...good for McKay Hatch. He's not pushing a mandatory speech code. He's calling on people to voluntarily clean up their act.
"My mom and dad always taught me good morals, good values, and not cussing was one of them," said McKay Hatch, the founder of South Pasadena High School's No Cussing Club, during a recent break between study hall and tennis practice.
"I've cussed before, I'm not gonna lie to you," Hatch quickly added. "But I try not to cuss any more."
He was in junior high school when he became fed up with all the blue language around him.
I remember those days. Kids that age cuss just to cuss.
"I finally told my friends, 'I don't cuss.' And I said, 'If you want to hang out with me, you don't cuss.'"
If only more kids did that about other things, too.
Cacciotti, the mayor, isn't surprised that South Pasadena started the movement. He noted that the city broke off from its much bigger neighbor 120 years ago when residents unhappy with the saloon trade in downtown Pasadena voted 85-25 to go their own way.
Never confuse South Pasadena with Pasadena. At least not when dealing with someone from there. Ever.
David Salcedo, who manages High Life Burgers, a popular hangout near the high school, hadn't heard of it either.
But, come to think of it, he said, the language among the after-school crowd has been pretty clean lately. The biggest problem these days, Salcedo said, is kids talking too loudly.
"But they're good kids," he added. "They just eat their chili fries and go home."
I wanted to throw that in there because Hi-Life Burgers (correct spelling) is a great mom-and-pop burger/Mexican food/pastrami place with REAL chili cheese fries – the kind that block your arteries. None of that wimpy fries-with-few-shreds-of-cheese-and-dab-of-chili stuff. It used to be one of those drive-up and walk-up carhop places, but years ago was rebuilt to be an indoor place. They have some great fresh sauces, too. Oh man, I need a fix.