We aren't doing a very good job of it:

Nearly three-quarters of Americans questioned last week — 74 percent — said they encounter profanity in public frequently or occasionally, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll. Two-thirds said they think people swear more than they did 20 years ago. And as for, well, the gold standard of foul words, a healthy 64 percent said they use the F-word — ranging from several times a day (8 percent) to a few times a year (15 percent).

I'll occasionally curse, but I try to reserve it for occasions in which strong language is demanded. I'm appalled at the conversations I hear in which every other word is obscene or profane (and when it happens, I suspect that the utterer has no idea of the meaning of either of those words). Unlike many leftist web sites (I won't mention any names, but they start with "K") I don't think that the conversation is advanced with foul language, and I undertake great effort to refrain from it here. I hope I'm successful.

The point of the article is that this is one of those things that's won one battle at a time--at the grocery, at restaurants and bars, at parties. The culture doesn't have to deteriorate. We can be an army of judgmental people (yes, I know that the only thing that's apparently allowed to be judged these days is being "judgmental"), and perhaps arrest this trend.

Rand said, "I occasionally curse, ..."

Few of us really curse: That means that we are wishing that terrible things happen to the cursee. The only cursing that I commonly hear is the popular, "Go to Hell," and an occasional "God damn you!" What we mostly do is to use obscene language. Unfortunately, we don't have a word as neat as "curse" to express what we're really talking about.

I agree with Rand: We should avoid using coarse language.

Well, yes, if you're going to be literal, I curse extremely rarely. In fact, I don't think I've ever expressed a desire for damnation to anybody (though I occasionally do it to inanimate objects, particularly when dealing with mechanical or electronic devices). Of course, one can curse people in other religions, too (may the gods of happiness and contentment follow you all your days...and never overtake you).

It's all environment. Depending on my situation of the moment, I am sometimes very foul in my language, but that is only when I'm in an environment filled with people who are incapable of paying attention for a very short period of time. I have less a problem with foul language, at least the words, than the content of a statement. I'm often startled by the utterly profane statements made in public, and specificaly the workplace that only consist of the more mild words.

There is a distinct difference between "holy s..." and "holy cow" there is also a distinct difference between saying "What the F..." and telling stories having to do with specific actions on a woman, while you are standing next to woman, or some other such comments about someone you have to work with.

I don't have a problem with the words, I have a problem with the p0rnographic use of words as an insult to every person listening, of course, there is, in general, no real reason to use foul language.

I have a dispensation. I'm a Navy man.