<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD><TITLE></TITLE>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=windows-1252">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY text=#330033 bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Thank you
Jerry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>Tini Pel.</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=jzs@XMISSION.COM href="mailto:jzs@XMISSION.COM">Jerry Spillman</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu
href="mailto:sw-l@majordomo.valenciacc.edu">SignWriting List</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 19, 2004 8:55
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [sw-l] obscenities, etc.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV><FONT face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">Dear Valerie and
List,<BR><BR>As this is a forum, I must put in my two cents worth. I
will maintain my websites as family-oriented material, and without obscene
expression as much as possible. Just because a language contains
obscenity, as all languages do, there is seldom necessity to put it to
use. There are signs for sex in it's numerous uses as a word, and there
are signs for obscenities which roughly express the same thoughts in a less
gentle manner. I think the point of the discussion is not whether such
terminology should exist, but whether it should become a standard of
expression. Vulgarity, for example, is merely the word meaning "the common
talk". However, in my upbringing, it was not polite to speak in a vulgar
manner in the general company of ladies and gentlemen. </FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">I also understand that in some settings
and with some people's culture, what may seem vulgar to "polite company" is
common fare amongst them. And as long as it stays within that culture,
people are welcome to "have at it". </FONT><BR><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><BR>As educators and public servants,
many of us elect to refrain from such language because it can be and usually
is offensive to SOMEONE who might be present. This varies with culture.
What is OK to express in Denver, Colorado is, in many instances, absolutely
NOT OK in Salt Lake City, Utah. <BR><BR>Let us persevere to produce language
that is acceptable to all who would hear it, and know what the vulgarities are
so that we can avoid their use in "polite company". I think in this
light, that there is a place for such words in a general dictionary; however,
this would mandate that certain abridgement take place before providing that
dictionary for children's use. Considering this, perhaps a separate dictionary
of vulgarity and obscenity would serve the general good in a better fashion
than placing all signs, no matter what, inside the SAME work. </FONT><FONT
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif">It would be similar to a friend of mine
who teaches technical and mathematical terminology to deaf students providing
just those students who will use such signs with them, rather than confusing
the average person with "useless" vocabulary. <BR><BR>I pray that in our
processes of developing and defining language, that we learn to
communicate decently and in good order while dealing and expressing ourselves
publicly. Please consider these things as you develop your dictionaries
and write rules for editing.<BR><BR>Jerry Spillman<BR>Webmaster,
Cyberjer.com<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></BODY></HTML>