Right I am just coming back to to hopefully explain a bit about tourettes. The words arent always obscene, but they can be and they be swear words but they ARE inappropriate.
So my child will tic words to do with appearance, fat, bald, witch face (if someone fits the description of a witch from Roald Dahl book). He also has had tics of the words retard and imbecile. Imbecile I think he read possibly. Retard he has been called at school and when i heard him say it, I later has a discussion with him and he had NO idea what it meant. I have explained to him the history of the word ( age appropriately as he is 9) he will still say it as a tic even though he understands its an insult to disabled people and to himself.
Another one he has is fat bitch and shut the fuck up everyone hates you. They are just socially inappropriate and he tics most when anxious and nervous.
This evening he has told me to shut up bitch in-between a singing tic about oompa loompas to then say "may you please put my shorts in the laundry basket for me." And giving me a cuddle whilst settling him in bed to then say 'I am going to slaughter you'. As well as clucking, some complex motor tics
He can be an incredibly polite caring child but his tics reflect language he has heard at school, things said to him. And are things he knows he shouldn't say but he literally cant help it. They are MUCH worse when he is anxious, tired,overwhelmed. He is autistic, pda and has profound sensory processing issues all of these things interplay with the tourettes. The pda especially as a feature of pda is shock language to shut down demand.
Tourettes can be conversational, people with tics can trigger each other, they are impulsive. No child can be raised in a bubble, they all watch tv, read, hear things on radio or on music apps etc and are exposed to others but a child raised without profanity would have tics related to what is socially unacceptable in their cultural/social sphere.
I would say its pretty impossible for anyone to have not heard swearing but also for them to not pick up on what is inappropriate that is why sometimes the tic will be contextual ie saying something about a bomb in an airport or about death in a hospital. (My dad had an operation today and in a voice call via WhatsApp the ward he was on will heard my son ticcing in the background at one point, thankfully 'just' ticcing about grandads operation.)
The human brain is weird and complex and we are still learning.
If you are interested in understanding a bit about how tourettes impacts then tourettes action do a free elearning course. I can post the link if anyone is interested.
I work in a complex needs school and have a lot of experience with disability and behaviour that can challenge and I still learnt a huge amount.
Of course NONE of this takes away from the harm or the offense caused. But at a time where the mainstream media are demonising a lot of disabilities, the white paper has just been released with government proposing to strip rights from disabled children. Cuts to PIP and a Gov that oushes the narratuve of scroungers. Services stripped and supports non existent. Where the media constantly goes on about overdiagnosis of autism/adhd and how people are trying to play the system, some people are very defensive to any perceived insults or blame towards disabled people.
That does NOT excuse racism, but the divide and conquer technique is working well and deflecting from the systems that create the harm.
I have no doubt some people are using this as an excuse to be racist.
Some people dont understand their own privilege.
Some people dont get the nuance or dont even care to think about it?
Some are disabled people who do face daily discrimination and hardship because of that and are upset.
And some definitely dont give a flying fig about anyone and just want to stir hatred and create a reaction.
But tourettes is being misunderstood a bit.
It has not been handled well at all by BBC, the baftas etc. I have read the 'apology' from Anderson and agree it is not good, I dont think he swems to understands the level of upset. Possibly a reflection of his age, upbringing and life. Late 50's white working class? Scotland. I would hope he takes some time to reflect and understand why people are so upset. He has been failed here as well though and suffered a lot throughout his life as a result of his disability, including physical attacks. Living a life constantly anxious that you are going to involuntarily offend, hurt and upset people isnt easy.
Again this doesnt compare to the long history of racist abuse and suffering and it doesnt take away from the harm caused. But think context on all sides is important. Some of us are trying to see both aspects here. Tourettes can be debilitating, racism is abhorrent, I can hold both.
As I lay here typing this, trying to get a little boy to sleep, who is alternating between chatting away about his day and asking about tomorrow whilst also having motor and verbal tics that include telling me i am a poo and hitting himself in the face with his right arm.