Valerie Docherty, Minister of Community Services and Seniors, was reported to have sworn at Opposition MLA James Aylward in the legislature hallway. While some say this behavior warrants resignation, the author found it refreshing to see real human emotion rather than the typical political BS. There is debate around the acceptability of swearing and whether standards should be applied equally regardless of gender. Docherty and Aylward have since apologized and said they want to move past the incident.

1. HL: Docherty’s outburst shocking and appalling – and a little refreshing
When word spread that Valerie Docherty swore like a drunken sailor at Opposition
MLA James Aylward in a legislature hallway last week, I guess I should’ve been
shocked and appalled.
Probably should be writing a column calling for her resignation as minister of
Community Services and Seniors.
But part of me wants to invite her to play shortstop on my beer-league slo-pitch
team. Valerie Docherty a potty-mouth? I never would’ve guessed it. She always looks
like a million bucks. A woman of means and class. A cabinet minister!
But there she was dropping F-bombs in the hallowed halls of Province House. Or
that’s the rumour, anyway. I asked Docherty what specific swear words she used,
but she wouldn’t tell me. I’m just lucky she didn’t tell me to go, um … frig myself.
I only wanted to know the specifics because, of course, there are different degrees of
curse words. They are all rude, but doofus, for example, is a notch below dumbass,
and neither are as bad as what you hear in rap lyrics. The worst of all, in my opinion,
are any that begin with “mother.” Cringe. Leave her out of it.
There are also different genres of swear words. There are ones derived from sex,
and ones derived from religion. Most French swear words are derived from
Catholicism. A French friend of mine who curses a blue streak once told me English
people don’t know how to cuss properly. Swearing flows off his tongue. To hear him
stub his toe, wince, and cry tab-er-NAC is almost poetic.
But it’s wrong, so wrong. Besides, Docherty didn’t stub her toe, and that’s why we
should be shocked and appalled. She was pissed – pardon me, peeved – because
Aylward essentially accused her of toeing the party line for fear of being kicked out
of cabinet.
Here’s another reason we should be shocked and appalled. Imagine if Aylward, a
man, grabbed Docherty’s arm and swore at her. The public, especially women’s
groups – would be stringing him up by his … er, arms.
To their credit, some women are taking Docherty – the minister responsible for the
status of woman – to task for her indiscretion. Local artist and women’s rights
advocate Suzanne O’Callaghan called her out on her Facebook page.
“If a male politician laid his hands on a woman politician many – myself included –
would be demanding his resignation,” she posted on her wall. “It is a huge double
standard and, I believe, utterly wrong that a woman may lay her hands on a man and
not be called upon to resign. There MUST be ZERO tolerance for people, of BOTH
genders, being physical with one another. Period.”

2. It got 17 “likes” and sparked an interesting debate. But the commenters were more
concerned about Docherty grabbing Aylward’s arm when he tried to walk away than
calling him – and I’ve heard this from three sources – something that rhymes with
pucking frick.
Hell – I mean heck – has cursing become so mainstream that it has lost its impact?
Are people no longer afraid of getting their mouths washed out with soap?
The Honourable Member for Kelly’s Cross–Cumberland apologized to Aylward on
Friday. He accepted and they both said they want to put the matter behind them.
Fine. But for a few short seconds, it was refreshing – if not shocking and appalling –
to see some real human emotion in the legislature instead of the usual bullsh – er, BS
– that goes on in there.
sross@theguardian.pe.ca/@PERhymeorReason