It was a cycle for me:
Not swearing led to swearing.
Swearing led to learning to swear in other languages.
Learning to swear in other languages served me well as I moved out of North America to teach.
Being out of North American led to me being more humble and less the brash North American. Also, I spent a lot of time with children.
Being less brash and speaking in other languages led me to think more about what I say before saying it.
Thinking about my speech led to downgrading swearing to make a point. I’ll swear, depending on the audience.
Specifically — like L-Boogie said — “I’ll add a MFer so you ign’ant ****s hear me.” (Fugees, The Score, “Zealots”) If I’m cursing, it’s prolly because there’s some ignorance in my area.
I admit, sometimes it’s mine.
Also, the irony is not lost on me that L fell off not too long after this rhyme. Celebrity culture can be a scene full of ignorance. I don’t blame her. I blame the industry.
Here is the full text of the letter that Obama left 45. I’d never thought to read it.
A few notes:
Obama forecast 45s disregard for “rule of law, separation of powers, equal protection and civil liberties”. He KNEW 45 would fuck that up.
The role all Presidents, since Reagan, have played in “sustain[ing] the international order that’s expanded steadily since the end of the Cold War, and upon which our own wealth and safety depend” is a warning about fomenting or courting instability. It is also a tacit admission of the Military-Industrial complex and its attendant supports in entertainment, energy, and finance that projects American values and superiority worldwide. He KNEW 45 would fuck that up, too.
Finally, and from the start of the letter, “we’ve both been blessed… Not everyone is so lucky” is a reminder that the office is meant to support the less fortunate. We all KNEW 45 would fuck that up.