The Editor, Sir:

There has been lots of media attention placed on badwords, especially when used by artistes and the like. This attention has also carried with it police watch and legal consequences. Now it has come to my attention again that the law of the land has chosen to persecute and prosecute Bounty Killer, also known as Rodney Price, for what? Bad words. Where on earth did we come up with this draconian concept? I would like to ask, what is a bad word really, and as a matter of fact, who decides which words are bad, and how does one decide whether a word is bad or not?

Various terms

A bad word. A curse word. A swear word. A malediction, malison, imprecation, denunciation, execration, anathema, proscription, commination, expletive, disparagement, vilification, or vituperation. Bad language, strong language, foul language, colourful language, blue language, unparliamentary language, profane language, or harsh language. There are almost as many terms to describe these words as there are words themselves. But are these terms accurate? Is there really something bad about certain words? I resoundingly say NO!

We are introduced to the concept of a bad word because an adult hits us or yells at us when we say one. "Don't say that! That's a bad word!", Booduf buff baff! There's nothing like an open handed slap to the mouth to convince a child to adopt your point of view, even when it's a view based on ignorance and prejudice. Of course, the only thing this really teaches the child is that you'll use the threat of violence if he/she says any of these bad words. It doesn't explain exactly WHY the word is bad, or exactly WHAT is bad about it. There's a simple reason for this, and that is the fact that there is NO SUCH THING AS A BAD WORD!

Nothing more than a sound

A word is nothing more than a sound or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing or printing, that symbolises and communicates a meaning. It's a tool. Tools are good things. Is a hammer bad? How about a screwdriver? Sure, these tools could be used in bad ways, but even that is subjective territory. While you might consider it bad for me to jam a screwdriver into your eye socket, or smash your toes with a hammer, I might just as well find these activities to be a very good thing. But just because a tool may be used in a bad way, doesn't make the screwdriver intrinsically bad. So why should a word be treated any different?

I am not absolutely sure, but I do believe this ascribing of bad to certain words has its origins in racial and social prejudices inherited from slavery, while others are inherited from old Europa. And to be honest, if I were ever to go to court because of using bad words, then I would have to argue what is a bad word and why is it such before ever being convicted of this ridiculous social norm we have burdened our enslaved minds with.

I am, etc.,

YANNICK NESTA PESSOA

cyber_yan@yahoo.com

Paradise, Montego Bay

Via Go-Jamaica