Among my hundreds of posts over the past two years, the story of McKay Hatch probably was the cause of more negative responses than any other–some comments were bad enough so that I deleted them. During the early days of McKay’s work, his own blog was hacked, and his righteous posting was replaced with that of derogatory remarks and vile overtones.
EDIT–Thursday am: Again, I want to emphasize the depth of fierce response this story has caused. My original post is continuing to draw vile and hateful remarks. Some I have deleted because of their filth, but I have left as many as seems wise. If you’re interested, please check the ongoing comments here. The passion aroused is amazing, and unfortunately very telling.
Now this remarkable young man is back in the news. Because of the influence of McKay Hatch, the mayor of Pasadena, CA. has declared his city a no- cussing zone during this week. Again, I salute this courageous, honorable teen-ager.
SOUTH PASADENA (KABC) — South Pasadena is an official no-cussing zone this week.
The designation comes at the suggestion of a 14-year-old boy who founded the “No Cussing Club” in the city.
This fun-loving South Pasadena high school freshman is on a mission to clean up our foul language. McKay Hatch is the creator of the “No Cussing Club” and this week he’s asking everyone to give up their favorite four-letter words.
“I’d like to have a cuss-free week in every state and nationwide,” said Hatch. “People say it’s March 3rd. Let’s clean up our language this week.”
The link to the complete article is here.
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My devotional blog is here.
Shirley Buxton 
23 replies on “McKay Hatch Continues With His Notable Mission”
Jeff – I don’t know that I gave you a compliment, but if you wish to take any of my words for such so be it. One thing you haven’t learned, “Birds of a feather flock together.” You said if you were in a public school that supported Day of Silence you would, “…scream at the top of my lungs.” Why? Are you “outcasting” people? If McKay doesn’t want to hear cussing, that is his choice. If it costs him acquaintances, he is willing to lose them. I am not so desperate for friends that I would subject myself to keeping company with cussing, drinking, or any other behavior I find unacceptable. If you want to learn from history, how about this analogy? A polio vaccine was created and polio was eradicated. Just maybe, McKay can eradicate foul language if such history repeats itself.
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Jana – Thank you for the complement, but I’m actually a 14 year high school freshman, and I said “almost comparable.” Hitler started the Nazi party by telling other people how he felt, forming groups that served his cause, and leading people to think along the same lines as him. McKay feels that people shouldn’t curse, and its clear he won’t accept any friends that curse “I finally told my friends, `I don’t cuss.’ And I said, `If you want to hang out with me, you don’t cuss.”‘ So what happens to the kids that don’t want to change? Exclusion? Should they be out-casted because they think it’s cool to say things like “S*&#” or “F&@$”?
Remember, Hitler started off telling everyone things should be done a right way, it even went as far as a “Jews for Hitler” club. I’m not saying that McKay will be a terrible dictator responsible for the death of over 6million people, or that he will one day cause a war resulting in the deaths of over 60million.
What I’m trying to get at, is that things need to be controlled, learn from history, before it repeats itself.
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Jeff – you seem a bit unreasonable with your statement of McKay imposing his beliefs and likening him unto Hitler. McKay hasn’t imposed his beliefs on anyone. It is strictly voluntary. Furthermore, I have yet to see anyone die from refraining from foul language. Comparing McKay to Hitler is a pathetic statement from what I would assume is an educated man.
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Oh, and as for Mayor Cornett, keep in mind that he’s doing this to save the LIVES of the people who are overweight and obese. Maybe if cussing caused a rare form of cancer, we could all stand behind the kid and scream our support.
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If I was in a public school, I would scream at the top of my lungs.
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If you can’t handle this, how do you handle Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett recently deciding that his city was too fat, so he told them all to go on a diet? Or how about cities and public schools recognizing April 25 as a Day of Silence to promote the acceptance of homosexuality?
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Look here:
The story made it all the way to CNN http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/03/06/cuss.free.zone.ap/index.html
Good way to go!!
Mervi
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Wow, such vehemence over a kid trying to do something commendable! What’s all the fuss about? I don’t see any one being forced to do anything, nor do I sense any sort of Government repression here. It’s okay to admire someone for promoting good things and to get on board with them. If you don’t want to board this train, that’s okay too. I’m with Sis. Buxton, wondering how such a thing as this could cause so much negative reaction!
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Shirley, the only way I can understand your sweeping generalization regarding young people in our country (“a very large percentage of our young people are living unmotivated, drug-hazed lives”) is that you somehow derived it from what you see on TV. If you actually interacted with young people, I know you’d find that many are inspiring individuals with a strong sense of social responsibility and a variety of interests – whether or not these correspond with your concept of “morality” is another story – one which has no place in this discussion.
Certainly the fact that a 14 year-old has taken up a cause – any cause – is something noteworthy. I can’t help but think, however, that taking up the fight against cussing is an enormous waste of time, when there are so many other causes that require our immediate attention.
Regarding freedom of speech, it takes no sociological expert to see that the simple “suggestion” that certain words not be used immediately stigmatizes them and those who use them. This is not an issue of what, concretely, the mayor has said or done, but rather the effect that his actions – whatever they may be – have. I use cuss words when I feel like they best communicate what I am trying to say, as do many of my fellow young, productive citizens, and I prefer not to be told that that is unacceptable by moralists who have never met me.
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I understand, what he is doing is beyond commendable, here is a kid going against the grains of society to create a place with better morals. Yes, issues do exist requiring far more attention, I’m sure the political scandals and world hunger dilemmas of today’s world need all the help and attention they can get, but someone has to look at the little things, someone has work on the foundation of the society, because without strong roots, a tree wont grow. The problem here isn’t that he’s forming a club and promoting a “No Cussing” lifestyle, the problem is that the local government, by partaking in anyway is violating the freedom of speech of its own people.
For the people that want to live a lifestyle of “No Cussing” go ahead an do it, just leave the rest of us out of it.
As for anyone not being forced to do this, your right, no person has a 9mm barrel pressed up against their temple, but isn’t a government decree of any sort just as forceful?
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P.S. My post yesterday about Sovereign Power contains this quote – Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control. These three alone lead to sovereign power.- Lord Alfred Tennyson
Even if I did stub my toe walking down the street, I would have enough self-reverance not to disrespect myself with the “F” word.
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No one is holding a gun to people saying you must join the No Cussing Club, no laws have been passed revoking the right to cuss, and nothing prohibits me stating, “I hate to hear cussing, most especially from educated people who should have a larger vocabulary than to stoop to foul words.” On Friday, February 29, I posted on my blog, “Composure – Does It Matter?” Usually, people who cuss are people who cannot keep their composure. Most of the problems of this world are due to lack of self-restraint. Cussing may seem like a minute issue to some, but if you can learn to control your vocabulary, you can control other aspects of your life. Chances are cuss words would not be used in front of the Queen. If she can be respected that much, why can’t your dearest friends and loved ones receive the same respect? McKay’s club may seem to silly some, but you have to take small steps before you can leap. Yes, the world has much greater issues that need to be dealt with, but at least this kid is taking some first steps. Chances are, his steps will get bigger.
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Sorry about the double post.
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It starts here, No cursing, No Hugging. Soon people will applaud Anti-Expression acts and the once great country of America will find itself where? A Dictatorship, one telling people what to say and think. According to CNN.Com the City Council gave an official proclamation on Wednesday, keep in mind that this is an official government announcement, unlike a suggestion which is simply a recommendation. Even if it’s just a suggestion, when did it become OK to suggest violations of free speech?
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It starts here, No cursing, No Hugging. Soon people will applaud Anti-Expression acts and the once great country of America will find itself where? A Dictatorship, one telling people what to say and think. According to CNN.Com the City Council gave an official proclamation on Wednesday, keep in mind that this is an official government announcement, unlike a suggestion which is simply a recommendation. Even if it’s just a suggestion, when did it become OK to suggest violations of free speech?
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Hello, everybody.
It continues to amaze me that the action of a 13 year old arouses such strong negative feelings.
Respectfully, I suggest that those who are speaking of freedom of speech issues read carefully the article. The mayor of Pasadena has not passed a law, but is merely making a suggestion.
“It’s an effort to ask our entire city to refrain from using profanity for a week,” said South Pasadena Mayor Michael Cacciotti. “Hopefully it’s spread across the nation and around the world.”
I believe your freedom to curse and to disdain and to insult are soundly in place…and well they should be.
Also in place is my freedom to commend such a young man as McKay Hatch.
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“I doubt he is addicted to either street or prescription drugs or that he is involved in sexual activity”
Yeah he won’t be having any sexual activity until he’s 30 and realized that there are far bigger problems in the world than swearing. Try to find a better cause to fight for, maybe environmental damage, unnecessary wars or government abuses. Sorry I don’t need your morality trying to influence my life. And the whole “no cuss zones”? Sounds like anti-freedom of speech zones to me.
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Unless my memory fails me the United States of America, in its eternal wisdom, created something called the “Bill of Rights.” Now, unless my education has failed me, the “Bill of Rights” was created to protect the rights of all Americans, including the right to freedom of speech.
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
An eternal debate surrounds this controversial amendment, and many have asked what freedom of speech is exactly? The case of Brandenburg V. Ohio found that the United Stated Government could restrict free speech only if it was “likely to incite imminent lawless action.”
So I ask you now, if I’m walking down the street and stub my toe to which I respond with a loud “F&%$” what kind of imminent and lawless action will follow? No body of government has the right to prohibit a person, or group of persons from saying whatever they wish to say to express whatever it is they wish to express.
The “No Cursing” act is preposterous, outrages, ridicules, and unconstitutional. I commend Mr. Hatch for forming the No Cussing Club, it is clear that this young man is wise beyond his years, but to impose his beliefs on other people, people who do not wish to follow in the same path is almost comparable to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party of Germany. Perhaps my comparison may seem extreme, but remember that at one point Hitler was nothing but a man, a man who started a club, a club that eventually killed over six million European Jews.
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Wait till he is 30. He’ll open up a National Cussing Club of America. This is so pathetic. They ban hugging, now they ban cussing. What’s next?
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Good morning, Mervi, James and Robb:
Thanks for your comments.
Robb, I suspect if McKay were lined up and compared with all the students in his school, he would score highly in academics, and that he is considered to be making positive contributions to society. I doubt he is addicted to either street or prescription drugs or that he is involved in sexual activity. My point is that while a very large percentage of our young people are living unmotivated, drug-hazed lives, this young man is putting his efforts toward increasing morality in our country. He should be commended for his work, not disdained for it.
While I certainly understand that language is far from the only consideration in morality, I do believe our country is plagued with foul language, and that it is possible recent generations has been so bombarded with such words that their significance is lost on many.
Again, thank you for your thoughts.
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I know many very intelligent people — university professors, PhD students, business owners, clergy men — who are articulate, with enormous vocabularies, and they all cuss. It’s not a big deal; only a big deal if people make it one.
So let’s just not make it one. It is not okay in certain company, or certain contexts, but among friends, who cares? There are so many better, nobler causes for this boy to take up! He is wasting his time.
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It’s a good cause, however, why don’t they get as excited about the killing innocent people in Iraq.
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Thank God !!!
Someone took a stand. He stood for what he believes in, and what he saw as an error in our modern society.
Go, young man go.
You know we could use some like him in our ranks. (?)
Mervi
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