# 911 hanging up on caller for swearing -- can they DO that? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 4, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308 "2009-05-04T17:22:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Jeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/141 "2009-05-06T04:39:47Z")
Hell, he’s positively paleolithic. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/142 "2009-05-06T05:12:49Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Nah, it is just a deduction, every single time we pointed out that you got your ideas from Rush Linbaugh or Fox, you denied it constantly. And truthfully. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > So how come your ideas constantly sound like coming from the right wing machine anyhow? Probably because it’s never occurred to you that Limbaugh, et al., are not telling their audiences what to think, but rather reaffirming what they already think. This is not to say that every word that comes out of their mouths applies to every conservative in every way, but still they the primary function they serve is to provide a rallying point for conservatives, who have for too long been excluded from the public dialog long dominated by the news and entertainment media, Hollywood, etc. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > Clearly the information then comes from your right wing relatives, that are feeding you their “information”, information that does come for the likes of Rush and Fox. No, that isn’t even remotely clear. The information comes from my own little brain, which has watched with disgust and disdain as liberal permissiveness has turned this into a place that I’m embarrassed to be considered part of. You guys think western Europe is so cool, yet if I ever make it over there I’m sure I’ll feel the contstant need to demonstrate that I’m not the crude, vulgar, classless dolt that Americans have undoubtedly come to be viewed as there. I somehow have a hard time imagining that the Swiss, French, Belgian, etc. populace thinks it’s appropriate to demand fucking ambulances whenever emergencies arise…or to regale coffeeshop customers with tales of how fucking stopped up they were when they woke up that morning. :rolleyes: > [@GIGObuster](#): > > From where did you plagiarize that apology? 😛 It’s amusing, under the circumstances, to note that you have apparently[plagiarized that joke](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10891121&postcount=309) from Jack Batty in the very thread you linked to. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/143 "2009-05-06T05:12:57Z")
Another reason why I conclude that glurge/right wing spam is his main source of information is that many times the few cites he mentions are a few years old and are usually opinion pieces that conveniently missed the facts that appeared later debunking most if not all of the points. Like in the recent (hijack) discussion on what happened to the papers of Vince Foster. ---
**Author:** ![ivn1188](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e480ec/32.png) [@ivn1188](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivn1188)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/144 "2009-05-06T05:13:27Z")
I don’t think that the claim that civility has diminished in the past few decades is particularly stupid. It has nothing much to do with crime, or racism, or teenage pregnancies, or whatever else. The Victorian period was more civil in general than modern society; compare Jane Austen to Andrew Dice Clay, or think about how early presidents got in duels over insults that we would find laughable today. Compare the culture of journalism over the years. The equal time doctrine is dead, but we do have Nancy Grace. I don’t know if I agree that our culture is less civil, or if it’s a bad thing if it is (though I do have to say that I find the current state of discourse sad). Still, maybe you all should prove your point by acting civil, instead of slinging “cunt” around and telling people to shut up in all caps. ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/145 "2009-05-06T05:15:19Z")
Personally, I would suggest that getting into duels over insults is rather _un_civil. We would be absolutely shocked at the boorishness, to say the least, of such behavior were a modern-day presidential figure to engage in it. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/146 "2009-05-06T05:20:09Z")
Also, Jane Austen wasn’t Victorian. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/147 "2009-05-06T05:26:40Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > It’s amusing, under the circumstances, to note that you have apparently[plagiarized that joke](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=10891121&postcount=309) from Jack Batty in the very thread you linked to. 🙂 Nope, I used my own words. You really need to learn still what plagiarism is. Speaking of thinking, your recent canard that you can not see where Bush lied regarding Iraq was bull crap, you mentioned that the liberals can not see that Clinton lied about his affairs so therefore it is ok or expected for your “team” to never notice the lies of Bush, but it is clear that you live in a [del]flying[/del] cocoon when you completely missed the very liberal saying of: “Nobody died when Clinton lied” When it was used many times against Bush. So yes, many on the left can see when someone lies, and know that the difference was that the lies of Bush killed many. When your “team” ignores something like that then I see that as ancient Greek idiocy. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/148 "2009-05-06T05:51:47Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Nope, I used my own words. You really need to learn still what plagiarism is. Within the world of art, the standard of plagiarism is whether or not two works can be viewed side by side without one seeming to have come about as the result of the other. Your joke is sufficiently close to Jack Batty’s, both in content and context, that the similarity is undeniable. However, despite my assertions about your honesty, if you want to deny you saw Batty’s joke and thought yours up all on your own, I’ll accept it. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > Speaking of thinking, your recent canard that you can not see where Bush lied regarding Iraq was bull crap, you mentioned that the liberals can not see that Clinton lied about his affairs so therefore it is ok or expected for your “team” to never notice the lies of Bush, but it is clear that you live in a [del]flying[/del] cocoon when you completely missed the very liberal saying of: > > “Nobody died when Clinton lied” > > When it was used many times against Bush. > > So yes, many on the left can see when someone lies, and know that the difference was that the lies of Bush killed many. When your “team” ignores something like that then I see that as ancient Greek idiocy. What the hell are you talking about? Are we imbibing a little tonight? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/149 "2009-05-06T05:56:07Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Also, Jane Austen wasn’t Victorian. Not to mention that the times SHE lived in, the Napoleonic years, were EXTREMELY racey. People may not have sworn as much, but that was about it. Queen Victoria’s uncles would make Bill Clinton look like Jimmy Carter when it comes to sexual fidelity. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/150 "2009-05-06T06:04:29Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > What the hell are you talking about? Are we imbibing a little tonight? 😃 [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11098426&postcount=123](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11098426&postcount=123) The real difference between you and many on the left is that we can recognize when a leader lies, on the saying of “Nobody lied when Clinton lied” was the refutation of the post you have there. We can also figure out when we should react in horror to a lie and when to say meh to it. If you still think your method of investigating the truth is the greatest thing since sliced bread, then it is no wonder that your team is fading away. But do not stop, as I said before it is thanks to postings like yours that cause many intelligent conservatives to deny that they know people like you. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/151 "2009-05-06T06:10:04Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > In most cases you can’t “sue” a police officer, so she seems a bit clueless on that. Well, you do too if you really are going to use that as an example. In Spain, about anybody who owns housing is part of a “neighbor’s association,” including yours truly. I own a flat, but most of the time its only occupant is my housesitter. Before leaving for Switzerland I gave my contact details to the administrator; I also let her know that there would be someone in the flat and he would forward any mail to me, so the association can contact me by email, phone, snailmail to Mom’s, or by dropping a note in my mailbox in the house. Last month, my housesitter was threatened with having the cops called on him because there was a raise in association fees last October and, not having been informed of this, I’d kept paying the old amount. Now let’s see: 1. it’s not the housesitter’s duty to pay those fees, 2. having overdue homeowner’s association fees isn’t a criminal matter, 3. as for a civilian suit, the first thing a lawyer would ask for is a copy of meeting minutes (no such thing) and of the documents where I’d been informed in writing of the new fee (again, no such thing) 4. when I contacted the administrator, she wasn’t able to tell me the exact amount I owed, when had the raise happened or how much the new fee was; she also didn’t tell me that there had been an extra payment in January. I had to find out this information through the bank. Most people have absolutely no idea what does a suit entail, what is the difference between a civil and criminal trial… and in the US, “my Daddy will sue you!” is a threat I’ve gotten from people between the ages of 3 and 17 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/152 "2009-05-06T06:11:18Z")
Oh hey, I didn’t know you lived in Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/153 "2009-05-06T06:15:47Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11098426&postcount=123](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11098426&postcount=123) > > The real difference between you and many on the left is that we can recognize when a leader lies, on the saying of “Nobody lied when Clinton lied” was the refutation of the post you have there. > > We can also figure out when we should react in horror to a lie and when to say meh to it. > > If you still think your method of investigating the truth is the greatest thing since sliced bread, then it is no wonder that your team is fading away. But do not stop, as I said before it is thanks to postings like yours that cause many intelligent conservatives to deny that they know people like you. Frankly (and I wouldn’t say this if it wasn’t so) I think my points in this regard are considerably more well taken than yours. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/154 "2009-05-06T06:17:22Z")
> [@ivn1188](#): > > Compare the culture of journalism over the years. The equal time doctrine is dead, but we do have Nancy Grace. I know what you mean. God how I long for the days of yellow journalism - I mean you know, starting a war with Spain is one thing. Overuse of the word cunt is entirely another. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/155 "2009-05-06T06:19:29Z")
Well, it _is_ easy to overuse the word cunt when speaking of Nancy Grace. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/156 "2009-05-06T06:19:47Z")
> [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](#): > > Oh hey, I didn’t know you lived in Spain. I should pony up so I can keep my location updated… ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/157 "2009-05-06T06:20:09Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11098426&postcount=123](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=11098426&postcount=123) > > “Nobody lied when Clinton lied” Missed the edit, of course the very famous saying was “nobody died when Clinton lied” And it was taking that into account that it was clear to me that it was retarded for you to come with this: “The difference between you and me is that because he’s my guy I’m willing to see alternative explanations; and because he’s not your guy you are perfectly content to jump to the most damaging conclusion and make accusations of lying when any number of other reasons may be the actual explanation.” No, I’m willing to recognize when a leader lies, even if it is on my side. You are incapable of that, so you continue to willfully ignore the evidence that exists against your leaders. That is clear to me. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/158 "2009-05-06T06:20:38Z")
Isn’t it silly that you even have to pay just to have your location there? Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/159 "2009-05-06T06:21:34Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Most people have absolutely no idea what does a suit entail, what is the difference between a civil and criminal trial… and in the US, “my Daddy will sue you!” is a threat I’ve gotten from people between the ages of 3 and 17 years old. Heck, if she’d said “My Daddy will sue you!” I’d hope it would trigger some kind of thought process along the lines of “Gee, I better make sure Daddy lives and stop this pointless squabble with the cop. Live now, sue later.” ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308/160 "2009-05-06T06:22:47Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > Frankly (and I wouldn’t say this if it wasn’t so) I think my points in this regard are considerably more well taken than yours. Oh really? Can you point how many agree with your positions? And no, you are wrong if you think that there are no conservatives in this message board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/911-hanging-up-on-caller-for-swearing-can-they-do-that/495308.md?page=9)