Rapscallion, Bounder, Scalawag, Reprobate, rogue, rascal, scoundrel, good-for-nothing, villain, wretch, unprincipled person, rake, profligate, degenerate, debauchee, libertine; troublemaker, mischief-maker, wrongdoer, evil-doer, transgressor, sinner, hellion, ne’er-do-well, miscreant, blackguard, knave, rapscallion, varlet, wastrel, scapegrace, strumpet, cocotte, trollop. All these perfectly useable words to describe the behavior of some members of our society seem to have been cast aside in favor of a few four letter words much too general in nature to give the listener any particulars about the actions of the person being denigrated. The F word, the S word as ‘in a piece of’, the B word, the C word, the A word, are about the only words people seem capable of using these days.
In fact, they are much overused and as such carry less and less stigma for the denigrated and more and more reproach for the user of the word. Our spoken language skills have deteriorated to the point of childish, playground-like behavior of calling names in loud voices. This is particularly so in college where you routinely hear people not liked by our oh so smart college students being referred to as F***ers or pieces of s**t or A**h***s, B’s or C’s, you know the drill. Totally uncreative in their language skills today’s college student reminds one not so much of a scholar but more a member of the Mods or Rockers, Jets or Sharks, MS-13 or the Four Corner Hustlers, for the language you hear on the corners of the streets in Chicago is the very same language you hear in the yard at Harvard. Yet, they would have us believe they are more intelligent than we are and that at age 18-23 they have the answers to the world’s problems.
Colleges have become gang territories presided over by a group of wannabe powerful people who call themselves professors and Deans. Power wannabes because they’re only powerful within the confines of the college. Serious people don’t think of them as powerful any more than we consider a Don of the Cosa Nostra powerful beyond the territorial limits of his fiefdom in the city. Now, many of these leaders of the pack exhibit the traits of a poltroon because they are only brave while backed by their remonstrating student supporters. Student leaders learn to exhibit these traits but soon discover that off-campus they have little sway in how things will happen. This, of course, is frustrating for them and they throw a temper tantrum by yelling four letter words at people.
This behavior is also exhibited by many who claim to be experts in the media. Not long ago a media expert used the C word to describe the spokesperson for the President of the United States. Now that behavior is unacceptable and he would never have used the word except for the fact he believes himself to be supported by a group of media elites who will defend him. Personally, I regret that we have moved beyond the days when such actions would result in this individual being publicly posted as a Poltroon and as such called out to defend his actions on the field of honor. I would offer him pistols or wit, but I suspect that with either weapon he would be out matched. I am an expert shot with either hand and I know my command of the language is far greater than his, for I am never reduced to calling anyone a C.
My brother, not the lawyer brother for he is smarter than this, believes that my longing for things discarded or forgotten is a symptom of dementia, but in truth it is only symptomatic of a longing for order and rule of law. I have liberal tendencies I seldom share like, I believe we should do in the capitalism of law, that is- lawyers are placed on a list and you get the next one available. No hiring high powered law firms with scads of lawyers to defend you. You get what everyone gets, the next lawyer up. Having that provision might make us take to task our legal system and push for some other changes to make rule of law more equitable. See, some really liberal ideas; but to make things work you first have to have some order and personal responsibility in society and that is what I strive to elucidate my readers about.
Perhaps if college students wore bark collars we might be able to have reasonable conversations wherein they might expand their vocabularies and learn to debate rather than to remonstrate.
Times like these even make me miss Spiro Agnew’s vocabulary .