On the soapbox!

My, it’s looks like I may be only a weekend writer! To say I’m busy would be an understatement.

Tonight I feel like I need a soapbox because there are a few things I’d like to get off my chest.

First, I’d like to talk about voting in the federal election – or lack thereof. What really bothers me is conditional voting: “I would vote this way if…” Hogwash! I hear people say, “Well I really like the NDP policies but I know they have no chance of getting in, so I voted for the Conservatives/Liberals.” If every person who I heard say that, had voted for the NDP, the NDP may very well be the official opposition!” Then there are the people who say, “I don’t like the Liberals or the Conservatives. I would vote for the NDP but they’ll never get in so I didn’t vote at all.” Such apathy! Come on people! To me it seems clear – and I’m no political major! You look at the policies of the party, what stand they take on issues that are important to you, and vote for the party. Why would you vote for a party you don’t agree with because you feel they are going to get in anyway? It’s ludicrous! While you may have had a winning vote, you are surely not winning!

The second thing I’d like to talk about is “blue air.” Why is it that some people use profane, blasphemous, sacrilegious, vulgar language in everyday, casual conversation so naturally? Not only do I hear it when somebody is surprised, shocked, or upset. I hear it in jest, in mixed company and in the presence of children. The most commonly used adjective seems to be the word “fuck”. I have been amazed to work in offices with “professional” people who use this expletive as a noun, a verb and an adjective all in one sentence. In fact it seems like they see how many times they can use the word in one sentence. For some of these “professional” people I would like to turn their microphones and tape recorders around to let them hear themselves as others hear them for a while. Not only is it crude and improper, it makes me cringe. One day when I worked in one of these offices, a person said to me “that’s ok Bev; you can say the word “fuck” because it’s in the dictionary now.” Whoopee do! So are a couple of hundred thousand other tasteful, suitable, choice utterances that can be used to express thoughts with elegance and class. When I hear a person speak in such a profane manner, it speaks to me of ignorance. It is uncouth, impolite, crude, ill-mannered and rude.

Whew! I’m glad I got that off my chest!