Swear in public? Pay $20 fine!

[oscarjones]

Swear in public? Pay $20 fine in Mass. town


MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass.

Residents in Middleborough have voted to make the foul-mouthed among them pay fines for swearing in public.

At a town meeting Monday night, residents voted 183-50 to approve a proposal from the police chief to impose a $20 fine on public profanity.

Officials insist the proposal was not intended to censor casual or private conversations, but instead to crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by teens and other young people in the downtown area and public parks.

"I'm really happy about it," Mimi Duphily, a store owner and former town selectwoman, said after the vote. "I'm sure there's going to be some fallout, but I think what we did was necessary."

The measure could raise questions about First Amendment rights, but state law does allow towns to enforce local laws that give police the power to arrest anyone who "addresses another person with profane or obscene language" in a public place.

Matthew Segal, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the government cannot prohibit public speech just because it contains profanity.

The ordinance gives police discretion over whether to ticket someone if they believe the cursing ban has been violated.

Duphily, who runs an auto parts store, is among the downtown merchants who wanted take a stand against the kind of swearing that can make customers uncomfortable.

"They'll sit on the bench and yell back and forth to each other with the foulest language. It's just so inappropriate," she said.

Middleborough, a town of about 20,000 residents perhaps best known for its rich cranberry bogs, has had a bylaw against public profanity since 1968. But because that bylaw essentially makes cursing a crime, it has rarely if ever been enforced, officials said, because it simply would not merit the time and expense to pursue a case through the courts.

The ordinance would decriminalize public profanity, allowing police to write tickets as they would for a traffic violation. It would also decriminalize certain types of disorderly conduct, public drinking and marijuana use, and dumping snow on a roadway.

Segal praised Middleborough for reconsidering its bylaw against public profanity, but said fining people for it isn't much better.

"Police officers who never enforced the bylaw might be tempted to issue these fines, and people might end up getting fined for constitutionally protected speech," he said.

Another local merchant, Robert Saquet, described himself as "ambivalent" about the no-swearing proposal, likening it to try to enforce a ban on the seven dirty words of George Carlin, a nod to a famous sketch by the late comedian.

"In view of words commonly used in movies and cable TV, it's kind of hard to define exactly what is obscene," said Paquet, who owns a downtown furniture store.

But Duphily said, "I don't care what you do in private. It's in public what bothers me."

From THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, businessweek June 12, 2012

Can we swear in other languages? Like Chinese?

[oscarjones]

What if we swear with an accent? FOOK YIU!

[DanB]

Thats just outside Boston isnt it, alot of Irish in that area then yeah?

Then they a genius because that is about to become richest town in USA, because us Irish use fvck in nearly every sentence

It is a diverse word and has many fvcking uses

[Renesis]

Seriously if a cop was like ok I'm going to have to write you a ticket, I would look at him laugh and if he pursued begin the most epic chase in the history of a 20 dollar ticket ever.

[Honkey_Kong]

I almost want to book my next vacation to Masshole and say a few four-letter words there just so I can take them to court then sue the living shit out of the town.

[jasc]

My parents made the same "law" when I was fvckin 12.. oh sh*t.. there goes $40

[< <Samson> >]

Swear in public? Pay $20 fine! < FVCK YOU!

Gay ass fvcking law BS!

[SexySweetheart]

oh lordy I would be broke by the end of every month if they enforced such a law here lol

[Times Roman]

give the authorities an inch and they will take a mile.

so now anyone that cusses is a criminal?

BRILLIANT!!!

[JohnnnyBlazzze]

Try spitting in public in Singapore, you'll get the cane .

[jasc]

Try spitting in public in Singapore, you'll get the cane .

We need to start caning people here
...

"Your pants are hangin off your ass" BAM

"Don't backtalk your mother/teacher" BAM

"Quit eating garbage and blaming it on genetics/medical problems" BAM

sounds like a damn good plan..

[Honkey_Kong]

We need to start caning people here
...

"Your pants are hangin off your ass" BAM

"Don't backtalk your mother/teacher" BAM

"Quit eating garbage and blaming it on genetics/medical problems" BAM

sounds like a damn good plan..

Dude it's like child abuse now just to give your kid a spanking.

[Renesis]

I defended a parent at my store the other day against some random idiot. The parent picked his kid up and removed him from the store because he wouldn't leave when told to do so, so someone was like sir you can't force your kid to leave. I looked at the lady and told her that the store is a family owned store and hostility isn't appreciated. Or in other words I kicked her ass out for being a dumb cvnt.

[Razor]

Swear in public? Pay $20 fine in Mass. town


MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass.

Residents in Middleborough have voted to make the foul-mouthed among them pay fines for swearing in public.

At a town meeting Monday night, residents voted 183-50 to approve a proposal from the police chief to impose a $20 fine on public profanity.

Officials insist the proposal was not intended to censor casual or private conversations, but instead to crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by teens and other young people in the downtown area and public parks.

"I'm really happy about it," Mimi Duphily, a store owner and former town selectwoman, said after the vote. "I'm sure there's going to be some fallout, but I think what we did was necessary."

The measure could raise questions about First Amendment rights, but state law does allow towns to enforce local laws that give police the power to arrest anyone who "addresses another person with profane or obscene language" in a public place.

Matthew Segal, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, said the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the government cannot prohibit public speech just because it contains profanity.

The ordinance gives police discretion over whether to ticket someone if they believe the cursing ban has been violated.

Duphily, who runs an auto parts store, is among the downtown merchants who wanted take a stand against the kind of swearing that can make customers uncomfortable.

"They'll sit on the bench and yell back and forth to each other with the foulest language. It's just so inappropriate," she said.

Middleborough, a town of about 20,000 residents perhaps best known for its rich cranberry bogs, has had a bylaw against public profanity since 1968. But because that bylaw essentially makes cursing a crime, it has rarely if ever been enforced, officials said, because it simply would not merit the time and expense to pursue a case through the courts.

The ordinance would decriminalize public profanity, allowing police to write tickets as they would for a traffic violation. It would also decriminalize certain types of disorderly conduct, public drinking and marijuana use, and dumping snow on a roadway.

Segal praised Middleborough for reconsidering its bylaw against public profanity, but said fining people for it isn't much better.

"Police officers who never enforced the bylaw might be tempted to issue these fines, and people might end up getting fined for constitutionally protected speech," he said.

Another local merchant, Robert Saquet, described himself as "ambivalent" about the no-swearing proposal, likening it to try to enforce a ban on the seven dirty words of George Carlin, a nod to a famous sketch by the late comedian.

"In view of words commonly used in movies and cable TV, it's kind of hard to define exactly what is obscene," said Paquet, who owns a downtown furniture store.

But Duphily said, "I don't care what you do in private. It's in public what bothers me."

From THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, businessweek June 12, 2012

Can we swear in other languages? Like Chinese?

so fck shit ass fck.. how much is that

[numero_uno]

...so someone was like sir you can't force your kid to leave...

That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. Twenty bucks says that person didn't have any kids.

And what exactly are you supposed to do, pay your kid to leave? Children require discipline. I am not very religious but there is a lot of wisdom in that old book.

Spare the rod and spoil the child. You are only hurting the kid by allowing them to think that in life you can get your way by throwing temper tantrums and manipulating people.

[numero_uno]

At a town meeting Monday night, residents voted 183-50 to approve a proposal from the police chief to impose a $20 fine on public profanity.

That's great because who needs the Constitution anyway? The guys that wrote it didn't have a clue what they were doing. They clearly didn't have swearing back in those days or else the framers of the Constitution would never have "allowed" free speach.

Taxachussetts sucks.

[Honkey_Kong]

That is one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. Twenty bucks says that person didn't have any kids.

And what exactly are you supposed to do, pay your kid to leave? Children require discipline. I am not very religious but there is a lot of wisdom in that old book.

Spare the rod and spoil the child. You are only hurting the kid by allowing them to think that in life you can get your way by throwing temper tantrums and manipulating people.

This is a good read on how to treat your kids:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=beat

[lovbyts]

I defended a parent at my store the other day against some random idiot. The parent picked his kid up and removed him from the store because he wouldn't leave when told to do so, so someone was like sir you can't force your kid to leave. I looked at the lady and told her that the store is a family owned store and hostility isn't appreciated. Or in other words I kicked her ass out for being a dumb cvnt.

I hope you really did kick the old wind bag out. When my daughter was around 3 we were in a store inline and some other persons kid was being bratty, screaming because they could not get some candy or toy and the parent was just ignoring them and everyone else trying not to look. My daughter walked up to the parent and kid and said Your kid needs a spanking. The parent just stared with their mouth hanging open and everyone else practically gave my daughter a standing ovation clapping. Damn right the kid needed a spanking.

Truest words ever, spare the rod spoil the child. I was spanked but only when I deserved it. Never out of anger or because someone was annoyed or drunk and I always knew why. Never had a problem with it and to many parents are afraid to do the same. That's why we have so many idiot kids around.

Although I dont think we need more laws and it's just a way to get revenue I like it as long as it's how they say it will be. It's not for people who say fvck or sh*t but for those punks who stand around yelling on their phone or in a group continually cursing and annoying everyone around them.

[DeadlyD]

That's ****in' horse sh*t, those fvckin' a$$holes won't get away with that sh*t!!! ....lol

[Armykid93]

Try spitting in public in Singapore, you'll get the cane .

Lol yeah. That's an insane place.

[Renesis]

This is a good read on how to treat your kids:

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=beat

Absolutely awesome and yes I did ask her to leave and gave that BS reason about it not being a hostile place.

[JohnnnyBlazzze]

We need to start caning people here
...

"Your pants are hangin off your ass" BAM

"Don't backtalk your mother/teacher" BAM

"Quit eating garbage and blaming it on genetics/medical problems" BAM

sounds like a damn good plan..

I'm with you on this.

They showed us pictures of some cane victims and dude's ass's looked like they where shredded apart by a wolverine...I had to look away at some of them they were pretty graphic haha.

[DCI]

It's all going to end up like Demolition man, sex will be banned, swearing in public will be back, we will all have to live under ground and eat rats like Denis O Leary.

[DeadlyD]

It's all going to end up like Demolition man, sex will be banned, swearing in public will be back, we will all have to live under ground and eat rats like Denis O Leary.

Sandra Bullock is hot in that movie!!!

[cherrydrpepper]

hahahha demolition man ive seen that movie like 20+ times

That and judge dredd I never get tired of

[lovbyts]

It's all going to end up like Demolition man, sex will be banned, swearing in public will be back, we will all have to live under ground and eat rats like Denis O Leary.

Is that the one where he is un frozen, hears a blip on the radio about President Arnold Schwarzenegger and is in a car crash where it fills up with Styrofoam as an airbag? Ive been trying to remember what one that was. I predicted at that time that it was possible Arnold could run for office even though he was not American born because somehow the law might change (Obama) and be mute in the future. lol

[Misery13]

oh lordy I would be broke by the end of every month if they enforced such a law here lol

Same goes for Mrs.misery13 and I.

[Misery13]

We need to start caning people here
...

"Your pants are hangin off your ass" BAM

"Don't backtalk your mother/teacher" BAM

"Quit eating garbage and blaming it on genetics/medical problems" BAM

sounds like a damn good plan..

Yes. Yes. Yes. You stole, bam cut there hand off.

[DCI]

Sandra Bullock is hot in that movie!!!

Yeh she wasn't bad all right, you wouldn't kick her outta bed for eating crisps

Is that the one where he is un frozen, hears a blip on the radio about President Arnold Schwarzenegger and is in a car crash where it fills up with Styrofoam as an airbag? Ive been trying to remember what one that was. I predicted at that time that it was possible Arnold could run for office even though he was not American born because somehow the law might change (Obama) and be mute in the future. lol

That's it exactly man. Kinda a funny film but not too far off being wild either.