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<title> Time Changes. </title>
When I first came across the article "Cleaning up the language" by Shirley E Peckham I thought the text would be about how to take away unnecessary words, for example swearwords, in the language. Evidently I was wrong. It is shown to me in the opening paragraph that this is a text written by a very bitter woman, who despite her age obviously doesn't have the knowledge to express herself in this question. She compares her own childhood to the present, although two generations must have passed since she was a child. She speculates without having any real foundation to stand on and also she doesn't state clearly what it is she wants to say. From loose ends and vague suggestions we're able to guess what she means and when we finally figure it out, it's something not at all appealing to us. 

I am convinced that children throughout time have always used words that they've known were forbidden. According to Peckham she never allowed "such filth" to slip from her mouth, because she was too afraid of punishment. I find this sad, especially since it apparently has made her into a bitter woman and this reflects in her aggressive way of approaching this matter as well. Instead of using relevant arguments she points at her own miserable childhood. I should think this has absolutely nothing to do with anything. She also uses facts from a situation where she was only a spectator, to build her arguments upon. This can be most misleading. Children of today know in what situation it is appropriate to use a more formal language and so they are able to change their way of speaking accordingly. I believe that a young person would not use the same words when addressing Peckham as he/she would when talking to his/her friends. People have different roles to play in everyday-life. Therefore Peckham has no right to judge children simply from listening in silence to their conversations.

I am also against Peckham's thoughts about different social classes. She seems to be amazed at the fact that well-dressed boys who appear to come from "respectable families" use these words. This statement suggests that she's hierarchical in her judgement of other people. It's obvious to me that she needs to come off that throne of hers and instead start to live in the real world. It is wrong of her to insinuate that "ugly" things unaccepted by society don't occur in the upper- or middle classes, but in the working class only. Of course we can find the same kind of behaviour in any social class regardless of status. I think it's unnecessary to generalise in this matter. Perhaps that's why I become very annoyed when Peckham speaks about boys and girls as if boys should be more entitled to use swear words. This too shows the writer's ancient thinking and is not a relevant argument for "Cleaning up the language".

Furthermore Peckham indirectly encourages parents to punish their children by means of violence. If she feels disgusted when hearing swear words it's nothing compared to the pain I feel when she touches this subject. It's incomprehensible to me how it can be a good thing to be forced into adult behaviour at an early age and as Peckham said, she "stopped being a child in every sense a long time ago". Shouldn't we allow our children to play and experiment -within reason- for as long as it is possible, without limiting their exploration- field with punishments so severe that they eventually start to fear us? Besides, it must have been proven already that child abuse is not a good method of parenting, otherwise it wouldn't have been abolished as it has been in some countries. 

I claim that Peckham has nothing to worry about when it comes to this sanitation of the language. As I am a firm believer in progress and fear that too many of this woman's arguments come from the passed, I'm convinced that nature will solve this on its own. Children haven't changed that much over the years and throughout time the old days have always been glorified by the elders. She seems to think less of children than they deserve and I feel that her article only gives an angry and offensive impression, especially without the necessary facts there to support her opinions. Her believes in hierarchy and child abuse are absolutely despicable and Peckham needs to understand that time changes and not be so stuck in the old days that she's unable to see the world in its present state.
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