Words are just that, words. A random string of noises that have been assigned a meaning. I have a decent vocabulary myself. In fact, just last week I had an English teacher compliment me at work because I correctly used the word quintessential in a conversation with another customer.

Mixed in with my vocabulary however, are multitudes of "profanities". I try not to use them in front of my mother and any other person who has expressed offense towards them - I do have some amount of respect for other people's feelings.

I don't understand however why people get so upset about them. The only reason these words offend you is because you let them. If I were in an argument with another woman, I could probably offend her more by calling her a fat ugly cow than by calling her a shithead.

I also don't understand why using a word or phrase with the exact same meaning as a "profanity" is some how far less offensive. "Sex you, you sexing little poop!!" If some one yelled this at you in the heat of an argument... well I don't know about you - but I'd probably pee myself laughing.