Would You Mind if a 20 Year Old Male Repeatedly Said "V*g**a" In Front of Your 9 Year-Old Daughter?

Question

Would You Mind if a 20 Year Old Male Repeatedly Said "Va***a" In Front of Your 9 Year-Old Daughter?

3 high school girls may be suspended from school because they intentionally said the word "vag**a" while reading to an after school audience that had younger kids.

Much national support is on the girls' side. The author of "The Vag**a Monologues" just appeared on the "Today" show with the girls. The argument is "freedom of speech."

So, would you mind if a 20 or 25 year old male went around the grocery store or at the community swimming pool saying the word va***a repeatedly in front of your 9 or 10 year old daughter?

I am not saying that the two instances are equal. But, each does raise the issue of "freedom of speech."

Also, is it ok to say the f word or the n word repeatedly in public. After all, we supposedly have freedom of speech.

(Maybe the girls want to read lines from the movie "Blazing Saddles" where the n-word was said over and over.)

Yes, YA would not let me say v****a.

Answer 1

that shows you what a mixed up world we live in
i guess we are going through hell with blinders on
what rubbish goes on in this sick world..

Answer 2

That's bullshit. Those girls do deserve to be suspended. There's no reason to repeatedly say such a word or talk about such things in front of a young child like that.

From a CRS report for congress titled, "Freedom of Speech and Press:
Exceptions to the First Amendment," I paste the following:

The Court has also decided that the First Amendment provides less than full
protection to commercial speech, defamation (libel and slander), speech that may be
harmful to children, speech broadcast on radio and television, and public employees’
speech. Even speech that enjoys the most extensive First Amendment protection may
be subject to “regulations of the time, place, and manner of expression which are
content-neutral, are narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest, and
leave open ample alternative channels of communication.” And, even speech that
enjoys the most extensive First Amendment protection may be restricted on the basis
of its content if the restriction passes “strict scrutiny,” i.e., if the government shows
that the restriction serves “to promote a compelling interest” and is “the least
restrictive means to further the articulated interest.”

The bad thing is through my knowledge and understanding I see nothing that would say the girls were in the wrong, because the first amendment protects them. The closest thing I could think of would be the 'speech that may be harmful to children,' and/or time and place restrictions. I suppose the word vagina is no more harmful than the word cookie to a child (they both get eaten), though I am not sure exactly what context the stupid girls applied the vagina word to.

The time and place doesn't really work either, because it's not radio or TV; however, again, I don't think it can be proven that "vagina" is harmful to a child...........

Answer 3

This is a world Now, where I believe even young children
have already heard, so that now they know the meaning of certain words, you'd prefer they'd not been exposed to.
However a harsher reality is ours nowadays, unfortunately.
If I were you, and were constantly troubled by this young man using the word you oppose hearing so much, in front of your daughter - I'd approach him and tell him.
He may or not be aware that its usage by him, constantly, is offensive to anyone! However it is to you.
If after you've discussed it civilly with him, if he sasses you or continues to press on the word in your presence or your daughter's at a grocery store, I'd tell the store supervisor.
The store does not want to lose business, and who knows, it may just be owned or managed by people of decency . . there is a chance that if you have to resort to this : he'll not allowed in the store until he shows the respect he owes the public, by cleaning up his language.
If all else fails, stick a bar of Lava soap in his mouth and force him to bite into it and hold it against his tongue for 15 minutes.
I'd bet this would do the trick, if all else fails!

By the way : a personal reference : IT was not until I was 16 and a freshman in college - that I first hear the "F" word from a man, who while he was crossing the street and we passed each other, said it to me in a sentence.
Since I had no idea what the word meant, at home, I had never heard it before, I arrived home that evening and at the family table said: Mom, Dad, what does : "Would you like to "F" mean?
To this day I have yet to see more people turn paler, and with embarrassed difficulty inform me of what this vulgarity meant!
I'll never forget that instance of realizing what naivete I still had towards the world at that time!

Answer 4

What was their speech or book about that caused them to say the word? There's a lot of difference in saying the scientific name for part of a woman's body for purposes of health, science and education and saying it in a vulgar way just to be offensive.

And a 9 year old isn't that far from starting puberty..I got my period when I was 10! A 9 year old should know the term "vag!na" without being shocked or corrupted by hearing it!!

Answer 5

It is not a 'dirty' word... however if it is intended to shock, provoke, and is not appropriate to the subject at hand, then why say it?

I could not teach Health Education without using the word. However, it is appropriate to use the word in that circumstance. Repeating something over and over with no frame of reference or intent makes little sense. I could walk around all day and say "turnip" but... folks would just see me as a bit insane.

If a 20 year old walked around saying the word, I would seriously question his motivation. Yes, I would mind. He is helping create stigma by making a word used to described basic anatomy taboo. That is ridiculous.

Answer 6

i think it is proper to teach your children the correct words for their body parts instead of little kiddy words. It helps build their vocabulary. a vagin@ is what she has, there is nothing wrong with that word. I don't see how someone could go around saying it repeatedly unless he stuttered and got stuck on that word.
People are allowed to say what they please in public, it is up to you to let you child know that some words are not appropriate for them to use, like curse words or the n-word. I don't see nothing wrong with asking someone to refrain from using words around your child and if they are respectful they would stop, but there is definitely no guarantee, because like i said it is freedom of speech.

Answer 7

A man has no reason to be going around saying vagina all the time! I however do not think its a "dirty" or "bad" word. I have a 7 yr old daughter and a 6yr old son and I have been teaching them penis and vagina as their body parts since they were potty training. But still a man has no reason to be saying that word on a regular basis, ESPECIALLY in front of a young girl. Sounds to me like maybe he has some issues and you should keep your child away from him.

Answer 8

I think you can say vagina to be descriptive in your conversation but to say it over and over again makes you mental. I have a 10 year old daughter and she wouldn't be scared if she had witnessed the reading from the high school girl but I think she would be shocked at the pool or grocery store to hear it repeatedly.

Answer 9

Its not a dirty word, it is a scientific word, I wonder if I can say penis? Vagina isn't a slur or curse word but, in the case you quote of a 20 year old in a supermarket, appropriateness comes into play. I wouldn't want him saying it in front of me and I'm 60 and heard it all. The play, The Vagina Monologues deals with our peculiar attitudes towards female genitalia, for YA to treat vagina as a separate case from liver or gallbladder is just plain silly.

Answer 10

First get the facts straight they were reading the v----a monologues second there were only high school grade students in the audience third in that setting freedom of speech is at risk if we follow authority that is wrong doesn't that make us just as bad as them never follow leaders blindly

Answer 11

The word Viagra is not a bad word or dirty. Its a medication that can be so very welcomed by those who suffer ummm the dreaded non performing ummmm action. Yes it is hard to explain to a 9 year old what people are talking about....definately.... but if you look at it...... when people swear and say the "F" word that no parent wants their child to say..... you have to explain to them why..... same with viagra..... time to learn its meaning