My favorite part of this particular cluster-fuck was learning that their mascot is a devil complete with the works: pitchfork, horns, etc.

It makes me laugh when people are so offended by a valid word. My 8 year old has free reign to use hell as a word, and knows when it is and isn't appropriate. Friends of ours, who are Christian Evangelicals, use the word "heck" in their conversations regarding eternal damnation, less uttering the word "hell" bring it upon them. As silly as people who spell God "G*d".

(I know Amy- you don't capitalize God. But I'm not looking to piss off anyone, imaginary or not!)

Here's a template for an apology: http://youtu.be/S8vA0ANTUM0.

After all, it's the thought that counts!

In my experience, they'll hold your diploma for ransom for any perceived misdeed on graduation day. At ours (and we were considered "progressive"), we were required to have our attire inspected, and threatened with having our diploma withheld if we pulled a stunt when our name was called. We also weren't given our real diplomas (the ones used in the ceremony were fake) until we returned our caps & gowns. And that was twelve years ago.

High School graduations are treated more and more like pre-school every year. You aren't alowed to cheer for your child. They aren't allowed to smile and wave at their families. No signs congratulating your grad or you'll get thrown out.

It's yet another example of the "I know better than you" mentality of the authoritarian despots running our schools. You mustn't acknowlege personal excelence because then the slackers will feel bad. The good kids do well in spite of the teachers best efforts to hold them back with the rest of the class.

I fought this battle with my daughters until I finally pulled my youngest out of her brick and mortar school and enrolled her in an online high school. Things are much better now, they tell me what's going on, and listen to me when I make suggestions. Imagine, teachers that actually work WITH the parents!

Well, except for the part where I feel old, when I graduated high school, well, um, I invited the bomb squad with me, and I still got my diploma (as well as the usual So Cal trip to Disneyland.)

Times have changed in very bizarre ways.

Pirates. One of these days, it's going to be pirates.

This is not "...a time machine back to 1950." This is a sign of the times. This is the direction 21st century U.S.A. is heading.

This is not about the word "hell". It's about noncompliance with an authoritarian of a compulsory, collectivist, state institution. The authoritarian became personally offended when an inmate disobeyed one of his directives.

According to another account that I read, Miss Nootbaar submitted the text of her speech to the authoritarian for his prior approval. He directed her to change the word "hell" to something else. She acquiesced, made the change, resubmitted the speech, and received the authoritarian's approval.

Then, while delivering the speech, she inadvertently used the word "hell" instead of the alternative. Her use of the word "hell" offended no one except the authoritarian, not because "hell" is such a bad word, but most likely because Miss Nootbaar failed to comply with his directive to which she had previously agreed to submit. How dare she!

It's kind of the same as when a TSA perv or cop is personally offended and angered when some ordinary person fails to grovel sufficiently. I mean, who the heck do we think we are?!!

It's even funnier when you see that their school mascot is a devil...

It would be nice to put the unnamed principal in a class with Rush, Glen and Ann - irritants that can only be destroyed by being ignored. Unfortunately, his or her petty behavior invites scrutiny and, per Amy, dismissal.

Unfortunate because the community must trouble itself to fix a problem it didn't cause.

"High School graduations are treated more and more like pre-school every year. You aren't alowed to cheer for your child. They aren't allowed to smile and wave at their families. No signs congratulating your grad or you'll get thrown out."

Actually most of these rules are just basic standards of politeness for any formal, public ceremony. Signs take up space and impair the view of the people behind you. Cheering and whistling drowns out the next one or two names called. And it detracts from the formal nature of the occasion and prolongs an already lengthy (and boring) event. When Amy talks about stealing people's space and time, this is a perfect example: you're literally stealing from the experience of the other members of the audience and graduating class. Classic "special snowflake" rudeness.

What I would say in this situation:

Get a copy of her courses and GPA.
Then tell him when he is done violating her free speech rights with extortion he can kiss her ass in front of the school before she apologizes.

...you're literally stealing from the experience of the other members of the audience and graduating class. Classic "special snowflake" rudeness.

Oh horseshit. I went to my niece's graduation in Maryland a couple months ago. Everyone was hootin' and hollerin' for their grad. And good for 'em! It was a CELEBRATION! It was all about the STUDENTS and their WELL EARNED diplomas and their academic achievements! And the class was small enough that EVERY graduate's family did a little hootin' and cheerin' for them, joined in by most of the rest of the parents and families of the other graduates, and I would not have missed it for the world.

Reminded me of my graduation and that of my brothers'. Of course, this was before all the PC bullshit that's been shoved down our throats and up our asses.

Tell me about it. A grown woman just chastised me for using the word "asshole" in a private email. I kid you not.

She must have to have a defibrillator handy for all the times she encounters "fuck."

My god, the fuddy-duddy pearl-clutchers out there.

I've spent my entire working life in the US Navy and the oil field so I am not unfamiliar with the use of vulgarity. This young lady from the facts as shown didn't cross the line and should not have been subject to the treatment received by the school authorities.

However, there is language that for the most part should not be used in polite society because it is...IMPOLITE!

I don't want to hear you use the word "Fuck" every two seconds.I don't need to hear that your boss is an asshole or your sister is a bitch.

The desire to not be subjected to that every moment does not make someone a "fuddy-duddy pearl clutcher." But I sure don't want to violate your right to curse, Lisa. I am sure it is impossible to show a little restraint in the language you use every day.

No need for sarcasm, there, Causticf. (What's the 'f' stand for, anyway?)

Here's the thing: When there are prime time network TV programs that get away with airing the word 'bitch' on a sit-com (ABC's Suburgatory comes to mind, as well as a few others), saying 'bitch' or 'fuck' or 'asshole' to the point where those words are pretty much commonplace anymore, getting yer shorts in a knot just because other people use them in public or anywhere else is useless. People gonna use whatever words they want, regardless of how 'polite' or 'impolite' someone else perceives them to be. Welcome to the dumbing down, it's been going on for quite a while now.

Flynne,

As my nickname implies, Fuck is not unfamiliar to me either in the hearing of or use. Time, place, and context all come into play when I use it or any other language. When I speak with folks in the oilfield, I use it often. When I speak to my seven year old son, I do not use it at all.

The idea that trying to change the culture so that vulgarity is the norm is useless is one that I do not accept.

What is commonplace today can be changed just by looking at what is now considered normal is a change from just 20 years ago.

Has their always been vulgar language? Yes

Has it always been acceptable in public? No

Is their any reason to accept it in public just because it has become common? NO, just as their is no reason for Amy to accept loud noise or inappropriate behavior in front of her house, we don't have to tolerate the use of fuck, bitch, cunt,dickhead, motherfucker, shithead or other such language in public.

If that means my panties are in a bunch, I could tell you to fuck off but instead will say...Yeah, could be. I am a Caustic Fuck according to my Navy buddies.

Regarding the loud cheering and all at graduations... I am, in short, with the other Shannon.

I can understand that in a small class or small town if that's what people want. However, I would make a few arguments against it in general.

1.) it is not supposed to be a party or celebration. It is supposed to be formal recognition. The part is after the ceremony.

2.) Suppose the class is NOT small. For instance, my class of about 440 people if memory serves. (As I understand it, there are schools where this would be small).

Now, some people are going to have loud families and friends and lots of them. Some wont. Is that how people should remember their last day at high school - as a popularity measure?

3.) Again looking at an issue if class size is larger but from a practicality point of view...

If your graduating class is 50 people you can give each graduate a full minute of cheering after his/her name is called and, even with speeches, the program would likely not run more than an hour or so. (Now, I've heard cheering go on for much longer than this for a few people at various graduations, but we'll assume an average of a minute).

Now... Just for easy numbers, let's round my high school class down to 400. If each student had 15 seconds (1/4 a minute) from the time his/her name was read to walk across the stage and get their diploma and wait for cheering to die down... That's an hour and 40 minutes just for diplomas.

Needless to say, you got halfway across the stage and the next name was read. Some of the longer "cheering crowds" drown out as many as 3 graduates after the one they were honoring.

So, if I'm not mistaken, most places with large student bodies ask that recognition be held until after all graduates get their diplomas. That makes it go quickly, and avoids disrespecting the poor souls whose names fall alphabetically just after the class president's.

Oh... as for high school being treated like pre-school...

Polite clapping was all that was allowed at my son's preschool graduation. Although I do find it rather silly to HAVE a preschool graduation, I promise there were no signs, hollering, or cheering. Clapping, nose-wiping, shirt tucking, and photos however, were in abundance.

Note also that the pre-school comment didn't relate to the "kids" (graduates) but to the families/audience. I won't draw that out for you - think about it.

I'm just sick and tired of all the PC-ness. It rankles, that's all. I don't swear a lot, Caustic, but I do swear when I'm aggravated about something. Sometimes a good ol' Anglo-Saxon cuss word is just needed. But for the most part, I'm not given to random swearing just for the hell of it.

Shannons, I do understand where you're coming from, and yeah, I get the importance of the ceremony, but still...even with all the pomp and whatnot, I still think giving someone a cheer isn't bad form. Authoritarions deliberately prohibiting it from most people in order to spare some few other's feelings is.

Flynne, I get that and accept that. I drop something on my foot and people in the vicinity will hear some choice cussing as I jump around in pain. It's the everyday use as if it is nothing that chaps my ass and is unnecessary.

Nothing wrong with being in the 1950's in this regard especially since in your opinion society is lacking in manners and is rude today. All that rudeness is because of tolerating more and more. Since you want to sell books on how society should be more polite, I guess you should be supporting this since this pretty much helps things get there.

Way to miss the whole point of the post, Redrajesh. Stick to bashing women, you're better at that.

@Flynne--Okay but imagine going to your niece's graduation but missing her walk across stage because the cheers for the previous graduated drowned out her name and the signs in front of you obscured your view. You'd be pretty disappointed, and I bet your niece's feelings would be hurt.

Every parent/relative WANTS to bring a sign and cheer for their graduate, but unless you can allocate enough time and space (which might mean a 6 hour ceremony for large graduating classes), it's just not practical. Political correctness doesn't really come into play, just logistics.

Just remember that there is nothing so stupid that a school administrator somewhere won't think it's a good idea.

Nolo - very funny.

Flynne - The problem is what the other Shannon mentioned. It just GOES ON AND ON. In some cases, the audience gets more attention than the graduates. It's about honoring THEM, not making the audience happy. If the audience "honors" one graduate to the detriment of the other, they are putting themselves about the honorees. It is very selfish.

I don't recall if it was college or high school, but at one of them I didn't hear my own name because the cheering for a person TWO in front of me was still going on so loudly that I didn't hear the guy with the microphone who was standing 3 feet from me!

I didn't go to my hooding when I got my master's degree because I was sick of the audience commandeering the attention the graduates were supposed to get. My feeling was that I'd rather stay home than sit and be bored to then be shouted over... again.

The desire to not be subjected to that every moment does not make someone a "fuddy-duddy pearl clutcher." But I sure don't want to violate your right to curse, Lisa. I am sure it is impossible to show a little restraint in the language you use every day. Posted by: Causticf at August 23, 2012 8:52 AM

Yeah, Causticf, that's what I said: that because I used the word "asshole" in one email to one friend, that means I subject her to it "every moment" and it's "impossible to show a little restraint in the language [I] use every day." Distort much?