| |
How to counter foul words that degrade public spaces
• ONE afternoon last week, I was waiting for the bus in Prince of Wales Road when there came along two teenage girls, one wearing a sweatshirt on which “F*** FOREVER was written in large letters.
As she passed I told her off for subjecting people to this. She protested that there was nothing wrong with it.
I said, “No, there isn’t, if you want people to think you’re a slut.”
She then proceeded to scream, “Get a life, you old bag,” “F*** you, four-eyes,” and similarly trenchant statements of her position.
Then a middle-aged couple came by. She said to them, “Do you think someone’s a slut for wearing this?”
The man said, “No, I suppose not.” Her face lit up in triumph. Then he added: “But I do think she’s very stupid.”
At that moment, with rare timing, the bus arrived.
The couple and I hopped on, all of us laughing merrily, while the young defender of freedom of speech stood, mouth open, struck dumb.
I write this not just to give people a laugh but to encourage them to say what they think about such degradation of our public space.
These people claim not to know that there is anything wrong with what they do.
If more of us speak up, they will no longer have that excuse.
Rhoda Koenig
Address supplied
|
 |
|
|
|
| |
| |
