Letter: No Need For Vulgarity

Anton Community Newspapers • 132 East 2nd Street • Mineola, NY 11501 • Phone: 516-747-8282 • FAX: 516-742-5867

Letter: No Need For Vulgarity

Friday, 01 March 2013 00:00

171,476 - 47,156. Wondering what these numbers represent? These totals are the enormous amount of vocabulary afforded to us, both full entries and obsolete, that exists in the Oxford Dictionary, 2nd edition. So, with all these choices why is it that a good amount of today’s population opt to express themselves, and I am being gentle when I identify their language usage as “colorful” at best?

Since the birth of cable television non-censorship seems to have morphed into a “right.” There are little to non-existent guidelines with content. Recently while tuning into a network program that is viewed at 9 p.m., appearing on the screen before the credits began to roll were warnings advising that mature content, violence, language, and sexual content would be part of this program.

Family comedy shows fare no better. The off-color language used by the adults as well as the children is disheartening. Late night talk shows have a delay to bleep out the guest’s salty language but the viewer is well aware what had just been said. Music, rap in particular, has been an offender of this abuse for years. In 1968, Jack Valenti, president of the Motion Picture Association of America, revamped the rating system. Language as well as violence received ratings that informed patrons what to expect before taking in a movie or whether a feature was age appropriate for their children. Recently, when leaving a theatre after a “blockbuster” movie, I felt like I had been beaten up for two hours, since the use of four letter words was rampant. What ever happened to a good script with a solid story line? Young grade school children are encouraged to “use your words” when trying to express themselves. Good advice for all of us, after all with 171,476 - 47,156 words to chose from, we can surely face the days challenges with a less abusive use of the English language.

Aside from being thoughtful and considerate of others around you, a marked intelligence would seem to say volumes of who we are and how we have evolved.

Diane Sciacchitano

News

Local Artist Makes A Splash

Wednesday, 19 June 2013 00:00

With drinks flowing in a room filled with the laughter and praises of family, friends and art patrons, local artist and Hicksville native, Evan Campanella, proudly displayed his artwork at opening night of his own show at the BJ Spoke Gallery in Huntington.

After being sponsored by a member of the gallery for a member’s choice showing, one of his works helped to turn the limelight on him. Now a member of the gallery himself, his paintings have taken over the entire front room of BJ Spoke for the next month.

Sports

Town Honors Military With Baseball Showdown

Thursday, 20 June 2013 00:00

America’s pastime gets the local treatment as Town of Oyster Bay officials announced Massapequa’s John J. Burns Town Park will host a special baseball game between the U.S. Military All-Stars and the Long Island Force High School All-Star team on Tuesday, June 25 at 8 p.m.

The teams will play for the 2013 Supervisor’s Trophy and honor the sacrifices made by men and women in uniform to protect the country.