Letters to the editor: Lost in profanity

As long as there are two individuals in this world there will be the probability of a difference of opinion on some issue. This is certainly true of the world we live in today, many people and thus many different opinions. Whether it is politicians in a public forum, celebrities within a media spotlight or individuals through social platforms we are constantly exposed to opinions, and more specifically, differences of opinions. While I applaud all areas of individual expression and personal opinion, what I find, with an increasing regularity, is that what may be a true, viable and valid argument on any issue, worthy of due consideration, is often lost by the extensive use of profanity, vulgarity and expletive language. To further dilute a well-made thesis is to demean and belittle individuals on a personal level who may have a different viewpoint. A well-presented argument may indeed have the power to sway and even change the opinion of another person but becomes lost in profane and explicative filled rants of discontentment and tirades of personal disagreement. The excessive use of certain colloquial jargon and even religious terminology can have the similar effect of clouding a good presentation. The Art of Debate, once a staple of our society, seems to have become lost in the failure to express ourselves in a concise manner free of profane rants and personal attack. It just seems to me that the freedom of personal expression should also come with a certain level of respect for people with whom we may disagree.