<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Rossina, It is never my intent to be offensive in anything I may do or say, even by omission, to anyone. I am, truly, sorry that you have taken offense to this part of the dialogue at hand. <BR>
<BR>
Here are some thoughts I'd like to share:<BR>
<BR>
Everyone has the right to express their opinion. I respect that. Here's mine.<BR>
<BR>
Let it be clear that I abhor, nah, let me say turned off, by vulgarity in general, thought of as elitist/arrogant, by friends and foe. <BR>
<BR>
It seems to me that one should not take issue about offense by being offensive ("disclosing a lack of "education" in the speaker, etc."), which I may/may not choose to interpret as offensive. What I, and others, may think of as offensive, others may not even consider the slightest possibility that what they say may be interpreted negatively, particularly when taken out of context. Rossina, objections regarding issues one may disagree with, because of whatever culture, T &E, value system, world view, et al, one has, should be expressed in another way from that with which we may take issue with, without imposing them on others (these days, in my old age, it's becoming easier not to be as judgemental I once was). <BR>
<BR>
Ignoring what one thinks as objectionable, is always an alternative. <BR>
<BR>
Words, in any language, are not "good" or "bad." They are what they are, words. It is the meaning and/or how we individually/collectively give to them, that makes them one, the other, or none, rather than the words themselves. And, Rossina, even the "bad" ones become so because of some historic parallel (the expression, "casa del carajo," to illustrate, was originally used to refer to the top of a ship's mastil. In time it became something else. Languages are in continuous evolution. That, I find interesting. <BR>
<BR>
BTW: my credentials include having been born and raised in Latin America and Spain (Galicia, to be precise). I won't get into my socia/civil/academic strata, they should be obvious.<BR>
</BLOCKQUOTE><BR>
<BR>
</FONT></HTML>