Aaron: I never equated belief with a method of arguing. Using curse words or just plain disgusting[ly funny, IMO] quotes to make a point isn’t a method of arguing. It’s a method of stating your beliefs in a way your readers will enjoy and keep coming back to. The arguement is buried within the curse words and other items. If racial slurs enter the picture, then the argument doesn’t disappear, it just lets someone know “wow, this person is a racist”.

“If you cannot make a point without cursing”…that’s not the point at all. The point is that they sometimes used cursing or hyperbole or “vile” statements while making their argument and now they are being fired for it? You know, they have other posts where they don’t curse or use absurd statements like the hilighted one that are actually cogent points…but you wouldn’t know anything about that.

No, I would not use profanity in a job interview, but their personal blogs are not their interviews.

If you say “yes, yes it is, their blog space in total is their personal interview”. I disagree. What if a photographer was really good at his craft. However, he decides to take some pornographic pictures as well. He then shows his clothed pictures to Vogue or whatever magazine he’s trying to get a gig with…how is this any different a scenario?

What doesn’t make any sense at all is your completely irrational equating of a belief with a method of arguing. I don’t even know if your initial post could be classified as an “argument” per se. From here it just looks like angry screaming.

My point still stands: if you cannot express a point without profanity, your vocabulary is severely limited; hence you lack education.

Would you go into a job interview speaking in such a manner? Would a politician or press secretary (which, a professional blogger working for a political campaign essentially is) use profanity when addressing the public?

To me, taking offense because someone curses in your presence shows a lack of respect for the way that person communicates. How’s that for a two-edged sword?

Mike, replace “curses” with “uses a racial slur” and I think you’ll see how ridiculous this statement is. Unless, of course, you think you should just stand by and nod your head sagely when some racist uses vile language in your presence.

The problem with people like Amanda Marcotte is she’s not especially interested in making an argument. She’s interested in shocking people and showing how crass she can be. Whoop-dee-do; most of us leave sophomoric humor behind when we cease to be sophomores. It’s not even a question of humor; it’s a question of a severe lack of imagination.

I’m a secular humanist. Go ahead poke fun. I will giggle too.

But since you’re not paying my hosting fees, I’m the boss of this here house.

I think my rules are quite easy to live by: keep it clean, and you can say just about anything…you can even call the host a drama queen repeatedly, if it makes you happy…

What if I were to say to you “you discredit yourself because you’re a Christian”? Would this make any sense? Certainly not. One discredits themself by making poor arguments, not by dropping an f-bomb. Profanity is used by people for a few purposes, one of which can be “hey, look at me”, but mostly I use it because I think it’s funny. I had older friends when I was a young kid, sue me. Oh, yeah, you are not DUE any respect. You have to earn it. To me, taking offense because someone curses in your presence shows a lack of respect for the way that person communicates. How’s that for a two-edged sword?

Mark,

If you ban me for cursing you’re one lame dude. I’d much rather be banned for calling you a drama queen.

Dennis,

Please define the word “civil” for all us discredited peoples…oh how I wish to be enlightened. An argument is an argument is an argument. If you make it while cursing a bit, it is very easy to skip over such to find the argument (if it’s a good one). If not, it’s discredited on the merits. Y’all take this “civil” thing way too seriously. I still am reminded of Neil McCracken claiming the game is a serious game as all his goons wail on the Charlestown Chiefs…Slapshot is going in the DVD player when I get home.

F*** yeah!

Mike B. (mike b dot)

But I’m biased. I find arguments favoring standards for “civil” discourse generally ridiculous. As HST outlined so well in The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved, gentility is the cheap cosmetic we apply to the grotesque, 800-pound gorillas lurking about at Broderella’s Ball.