ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Mouth Patrol

When the language got a little too salty at a recent Garden Grove City Council meeting, some thought that decorum could be preserved by ruling out such utterances by officials in the future. That’s a damn--er, darned--good impulse for elevating the level of public discussion. But the city will probably find that nothing works quite so well as a cooler temper and a measure of self-restraint when airing the important issues of the day. Even Mayor W. E. (Walt) Donovan, who spoke the unprintable, said later that “council members shouldn’t use profane language.”

Some speech is patently offensive; other offense is in the ear of the listener. It could be a tough assignment getting the custodians of public dialogue to agree on what’s acceptable and what isn’t. No doubt, when passions stir, as happened when the council discussed downtown property recently, members may be tempted to make their feelings known strongly. They should guard their language, of course, but what’s worth a reprimand or discipline? The council must have better things to do than come up with a laundry list of unspeakable phrases.

And it’s hard to imagine what punishment would fit the crime. A call to order or even a stern and icy glare down the table from colleagues could sufficiently approximate the washing of a grown-up’s mouth with soap.

Those who chair meetings have leeway too. A word at the outset of a controversial discussion could set the proper tone. They, too, should set an example by minding their language.