OPINION:
Forty-seven percent of U.S. adults say people are behaving worse in public now than they were before COVID, and fully 20 percent say Americans have grown “a lot ruder,” Pew Research Center found.
That sounds about right. But seriously, the standard, pre-COVID, wasn’t that high. Democrats, with all their public f-bombing, have made sure of that.
But according to Pew, among the behaviors that have grown worse in the years since Americans were forced into lockdown mode are smoking around others in public; snapping photos of people without obtaining their permission; bringing kids into adults-oriented facilities — like bars; and walking about with T-shirts that blare obscene and vulgar images and words. Cursing out loud and playing music too loudly were a couple others on the list of rude behaviors that have grown worse, Pew found.
Predictably, perhaps, it’s the older Americans who are most likely to notice rude behaviors.
“For example,” Pew wrote, “89 percent of adults 65 and older say it is rarely or never acceptable to curse out loud in public, but only 38 percent of adults under 30 day the same.”
Who are these 62 percent of younger adults who think it’s okay to drop f-bombs in public?
After all, polite public discourse used to be a given.
Swearing in public used to be a widely recognized no-no — a social taboo that not only made those within hearing feel uncomfortable but also pointed to the lack of intellect of the one who swore. This is one societal change that Democrats can be blamed as fueling.
“’Potty mouth’ Democrats have some new fighting words we can’t putt in this headline,” Politico wrote earlier this month, recounting Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s f-bombs about President Donald Trump, Elon Musk and who knows how many others.
“Profanity isn’t new in politics,” Politico wrote. “But it’s reaching new heights on the left.”
Yes.
And it’s noticeable as — Crockett might say — f—-.
“F-bombs away: Democrats unleash profanity and vulgarity,” Colorado Springs Gazette just wrote.
“Harold Ford Jr.’s message to Dems: Stop swearing and start giving ’serious answers,’” Fox News just wrote.
It’s been a Democrat Party trend for some time.
“Does Democratic VP candidate Walt swear too damn much?” The Conversation wrote in August 2024.
“What the #$@! Democrats are swearing more. Here’s why,” PBS wrote in July 2017.
Here’s why? That’s not a news story. Understanding the reasons people swear is not so much a matter of investigative reporting as it is Psychology 101. People swear out loud because they’re frustrated and angry and fail to tap their critical thinking parts of their brain to control their emotional outbursts.
With that explanation, it’s easy to see why it’s the Democrats who have the reputation of dropping cuss words in public — with enough regularity, it seems, that widespread media outlets are taking notice and deeming it newsworthy.
It’s not that Democrats are stupid.
It’s just that they can’t offer principled and persuasive reasons for voters to support their agendas, so they resort to shock and awe. They channel their inner Howard Sterns. They hope their down-with-da-people ghetto talk will win them admiration for their bravery.
“Frustrated Dems unleash the F-bombs,” Politico wrote a couple weeks ago.
“Dems ’swear like drunken sailors’ while pushing back on Trump, Musk agenda,” Fox News wrote a couple weeks ago.
“Democrats think swearing like sailors will endear them to Americans,” Politico wrote a couple weeks ago.
“Democrats launch profanity-laced attacks on Trump, Musk,” Fox News wrote a few weeks ago.
Democrats are tipping their desperation.
“Profanity is Ignorance Made Audible,” the website TFPLA.org wrote in a headline.
True. Yep. Very true. And that means Democrats are tipping something else, too.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on X @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.