11 SEP 07: THE POSTMAN ALWAYS ____S TWICE

The man came down the walkway toward my door, and he was clearly upset about something. "So I said, 'S**t, f**k him.' He was p***ing me off." No, this was NOT another neighbor upset with that older man begging for money....

So who was filling the air with foul language on a Monday afternoon? It was the man delivering my mail. He seemed to say all those words on a cell phone, just before handing me a couple of bills -- and he said things I don't even say when high utility bills come.

I don't think the letter carrier expected me to be waiting for him at the mailbox. The cursing stopped when he saw me inside the door. He should have been thankful I didn't have a tape recorder rolling, or a notepad for taking names.

"How are you doing?" the letter carrier asked as he handed me the bills.

"OK. I hope your day gets better." Of course, maybe he was having a good day -- and he was saying all these things about the loser of a football bet.

This moment struck me as a first. I'd never heard someone with the Postal Service swear like this. But then, I've never followed a letter carrier into a front yard with a hungry dog....

If it wasn't for the letter carrier's cell phone, he probably wouldn't have used such foul language on his route. But maybe I'm being naive about that. The man could have been singing along with a rapper on an iPod.

But here's my point: have we become so careless with our tongues that we curse and swear anytime, anywhere - no matter who might be listening? Or have some people simply not been reading Reader's Digest, and increasing their word power?

I grew up in a home where my dad swore frequently, yet I was surprised when other grownups did it. A church pastor called my radio station one Sunday morning, after we broadcast his church's service - and he used the "H" word a couple of times in our conversation. And no, he wasn't warning me about what happened after I die.

These days, I hear one Columbus church pastor use that "H" word (you know, not "heaven") fairly often during services. He's described one fast driver as the definition of a "bat out of h**l" - when I usually think of them being above me in rafters.

Perhaps I'm simply too old-fashioned - too much of what detractors call a "goody two-shoes." Which I think is better than being a goody one-shoe, because it's easier to walk around....

We try to be G-rated here, so potentially offensive words are blocked out. But let's face it: our country isn't as G-rated as it used to be. And that's a shame, because we don't have to be that way. We can choose to use words which don't offend. Or would red-state conservatives dismiss a lack of "blue language" as politically correct speech?

As we all learn to hold our tongues, let's talk about items which made news on Monday:

+ Columbus Police arrested a father on charges of putting a gun in his son's backpack - a backpack which was taken to Waddell Elementary School. Somehow, the National Rifle Association still can't convince the Muscogee County School Board to allow these things at "show and tell."

+ WRBL showed Columbus EMT candidates in training at the Civic Center. One test involved dragging a mannequin across the floor -- which may have reminded some applicants of their high school proms.

+ The Columbus Fire Department asked the Muscogee County School Board for permission to use the old Baker High School for "training purposes." After years of dreams, ideas and proposals for using that historic building, it's coming down to this - possibly setting small fires in classrooms.

+ The Lee County Commission approved emergency money for several volunteer fire departments. It was either that, or order school board members to fight fires and justify those allegedly bloated salaries.

+ The Barack Obama Presidential campaign announced it's gained the endorsement of Congressman Sanford Bishop. In typical Bishop fashion, someone else had to do the announcing for him.

(Of course, this endorsement sets up a new tongue twister of the day: "Bishop Backs Barack Obama.")

+ The Columbus Catfish won the first game of the South Atlantic League finals, whipping the West Virginia Power 5-2. Imagine if that team moved to the south Atlanta suburbs - it could become the Tyrone Power.

+ Instant Message to WLTZ NBC-38: Start a new 6:00 p.m. newscast. Please. Quickly. That new gossip show "TMZ" you put on the air Monday makes "The Insider" look like respectable journalism.

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