CompuServe Messages

Mark, I agree with others that swear words are a silly concept (altho it has been put forth that we'd be in bad shape without them – what then could you mutter when the hammer hits your thumb without them?? ;-). But if you were inside a store, museum, office, or any other place, and the owners or other visitors asked you to tone down your language, would you expect _anybody_ at all to support your claim that you had a "right to speak anyway I wished"? Nah, no way. So, no, I can't see any connection between polite speech and "Constitutional" rights in this case, sorry. It has nothing to do with being refused entrance on racial/sexual/religious grounds. It only has to do with manners in a public business environment. Altho if you insist on bringing up laws which don't have any jurisdiction, then I suppose you should also bring up the decisions covering "local standards", under which you'd be out of luck ;-). I do think people like talking about this subject; it comes up every few months on one or the other forum on CIS. Heck, I was nearly banned myself in my own favorite forum many years back on similar topics <grin>. And I still have to watch my swearing at computer convention seminars I give. So I understand the mistaken notions you're going through. Sooner or later tho, you realize the fact that you're more like a paid convention guest, and the officials have the right (and even obligation to the other paid guests) to make up and enforce the local standard of behavior. It's simply a matter of everyone getting along. That's all. Get it? In other words, you use politer words when meeting new people. best – kev