Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 15:26:12 -0800
To: "Philippe Verdy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
From: Asmus Freytag <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: [OT] proscribed words... (was:What is the principle?)
At 02:46 PM 3/28/2004, Philippe Verdy wrote:
From: "Asmus Freytag" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Does this list really exist? Seriously, there's no word that can be
proscribed,
> >because they are not themselves infamous.
>
> I guess Phillippe, you are not aware of that peculiar American
tradition of
> taboo words, being more used to the European practice of banning certain
ideas.
No I was not aware of it. For me it looks very strange that such taboo words
exist still today, but even more intrigating that this list exists in US
laws...
Suppose that some sexully related words are "taboo", does it mean that one
cannot discuss of it with respect for the people with whom you're discussing
using these words?
Censorship is really a thing of the past here, and we can discuss of
absolutely
everything, and even listen FM radio programs using all sorts of words.
This is
acceptable because this leaves places for others, who may feel offensed,
to just
listen for other programs.
As long as you won't force others to hear them, notably children that
should be
protected, I don't know today any such taboo words here in France, at least
officially. I don't say that no taboos exists, but they are more generally
related to difficult social or family acceptance, or difficulties to
discuss of
personnal subjects with others. This is not a question of laws but of
personal
development and personnal capacity to communicate.
All societies have taboos in one form or other. What's peculiar about the
US is
the juxtaposition of a very strong first amendment with such a
well-defined list
of individual words. proscribed in many public contexts. Many European
countries
have their own taboos (of a different kind), and a different degree of or
legal
framework for freedom of expression.
Such cultural differentiation is what you'd expect. It's easy to pick out one
element of a complex system and ridicule it. However, unless the differences
between two cultures are considerable, it's hard to come to an unbiased
ranking.
A./
