Readers React: Defending hizzoner: Lighten up, Angelenos

The initial batch of letters reacting to the celebratory F-bomb dropped by Eric Garcetti during the L.A. Kings’ televised Stanley Cup championship party had harsh — though certainly not obscene — words for L.A.’s mayor. In Wednesday’s lead letter, Julie Bourgeous of Fontana admonished Garcetti to “control your potty mouth” for the sake of her children, and Lake Hughes resident Elisabeth Bernhart-Chatfelter accused the mayor of putting on “obviously a staged performance.”

Up until Wednesday, the mayor’s defenders were largely quiet. But after The Times published the letters condemning Garcetti, many readers took to their keyboards to echo what the mayor told his critics: Lighten up.

Here are some of their letters.

Richard Whorton of Studio City performs a cultural reality check:

For those of your readers who were put off by Garcetti’s remarks, chill for a second.

Yes, it was shocking, but Garcetti was caught up in the moment after one of the most exciting playoff runs in L.A. sports history. Yes, his comment was surprising and probably should have been curtailed. But to repeat what I was once told by a twentysomething: Get a grip; this is the 21st century.

Los Angeles resident Mary Rouse speaks for young people:

I’m shocked that the mayor would use the “F-word.” My teenage grandchildren have never heard something like that.

As they say, WTF? (They told me that means “We talk funny.”)

Joel Rapp of Los Angeles says cussing isn’t just for kids:

Come on, gang, it’s 2014! Time to put the so-called F-bomb into the innocent category where it belongs, among all the synonyms that nobody seems to mind: freakin’, friggin’, effing and so on.

Frankly, I prefer the original, but that’s because I’m 80 years old and thus have outgrown my prudishness.

Neil Irish of Long Beach finds company for the mayor:

Oh, geez, has Garcetti been taking mayoral decorum lessons from Toronto’s Rob Ford? I anxiously await his honor’s next premeditated publicity salvo.

Santa Maria resident Bob Murtha says the obscenity police are fighting the wrong language battle:

I am one of those “more established” citizens who was supposed to have “cringed” at Garcetti’s F-bomb.

As a retired educator of some 22 years, I can tell you that I learned more vulgar words and phrases from my students than they ever learned from me, and those adults who claim it sets a bad example for children are indeed very naive.

I would suggest critics of Garcetti and his use of the English language — particularly those in the media — would be better advised to concern themselves with the formal rules of grammar in their oral and written reporting. Such recent ugly phrases as “gone missing” and “graduating college” come to mind.