Mass. town weighs $20 fines for swearing in public

[cynatnite]

MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Officials fed up with public swearing in one town say that forcing the potty-mouthed to pay up might be the right antidote.

Residents attending town meeting in Middleborough on Monday night were scheduled to vote on whether to impose a $20 fine for public swearing. Officials insist the proposal, offered by the town's police chief, is not intended to censor casual or private conversations, but instead crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by teens and other young people in the downtown area and public parks.

"They'll sit on the bench and yell back and forth to each other with the foulest language. It's just so inappropriate," said Mimi Duphily, a store owner and former town selectwoman.

Duphily, who runs an auto parts store, is among the downtown merchants who think it's time to take a stand against the kind of swearing that can make customers uncomfortable.

"I don't care what you do in private. It's in public what bothers me," she said. "Because the older people get really upset, the kids ask their mothers, 'What did he say? What does that mean?'"

http://news.yahoo.com/mass-town-weighs-20-fines-swearing-public-174252402.html

[coalition_unwilling]

1. I foresee a new George Carlin routine: The 7 Words

You Cannot Say (in Public) in Middleborough.

Jeesh.

Carlin proposed substituting the word 'fuck' for the word 'kill' in movie Westerns: "OK, sheriff, we're going to fuck you now. But we're going to fuck you slow."

[theaocp]

2. Fuck that

I said ironically.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. So...you can't say Republican in Middleburough? Works for me!

[dems_rightnow]

4. I think the fucking Constitution might address this.

But what the fuck do I know?

[MadHound]

5. Boy, you know, for a really liberal state,

Once in awhile that old Puritan streak really shines through in Massachusetts.

[gregoire]

9. And they're not far from the anti-contraceptive people in CT

Hearing people when I was there about forty years ago brag about going all of the way to the USSC to fight against contraceptives (Griswold vs Connecticut) made me realize that part of the country is pretty damn(oops, $20 fine) anti-freedom compared to somewhere like certain neighborhoods of Seattle that I'm used to.

[bigwillq]

27. Hello.

Welcome to DU!

[GoneOffShore]

7. Fuck - Swearing doesn't bother me- Loud swearing bothers me.

[madinmaryland]

8. Fuck em, if they can't take a fucking joke!

[slackmaster]

10. Every day reality looks more like the dystopic future portrayed in the movie Demolition Man

Or Blade Runner.

[Brigid]

17. You beat me to it!

I was thinking of "Demolition Man" too!

[Initech]

11. Fuck that shit.

[Politicalboi]

12. Again with the children

Children learn that language either at home or school. But the MAIN source is parents. Someone who swears like a sailor around strangers is only saying they aren't too bright, and they don't care about others. Try and embarrass them, or just give them a look. No need to fine. And if they continue, ask them to shut up or leave.

[ejpoeta]

16. I know that all too well. I have a 2 year old who likes to say

son of a bitch. and she says it just like that. perfectly clear. It is my fault. She got it from me. Only thing I can do is try to stop myself from saying it and then try to stop her. Most kids pick that stuff up from their parents. I think trying to outlaw swearing in public is ridiculous.

[HubertHeaver]

13. They had better establish a list of banned words.

Of course, publishing that list would run afoul of the law.

The law would have to be enforced equally everywhere. I know a local preacher who would balance the town's budget half-way through his Sunday sermon.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

14. LOL

Good luck enforcing that.
Dang, I'd get fined all over the place. I especially like forgetting myself in Hobby Lobby and shouting what the hell! across the aisle when I see gaudy shit people put in their house. LOL

[Bjorn Against]

15. The $20 fines will be dropped and the city will have to pay big money in lawsuits

This won't stop people from swearing, it will cause massive legal problems for the city however.

[slackmaster]

18. The other downside as with any Faustian contract is that the city will get addicted to the revenue

It will no longer be in the city's interests to discourage swearing. The city will likely do things to encourage it.

[Brigid]

26. A visit from Romney ought to do it!

[longship]

19. Fuck you, Middleborough, Mass!

I imagine they'll get lots of e-mails like that.

[kestrel91316]

20. Somehow I doubt that this will pass constitutional muster..........

[Bombero1956]

21. and just who in the hell will enforce this?

Will cops be tied up writing up a ticket while an armed felon robs a bank or rapes a woman?

[DefenseLawyer]

22. There's just one thing, Dude...

Do you have to use so many cuss words?

[Blue_Tires]

23. what if you cuss in something other than American English??

[MattBaggins]

24. How many times must the Supreme Court knock down these laws?

Do they not have competent lawyers to tell them how it is?

Yes all that swearing in public is just plain awful and I wish a thousand fleas upon those type of teens, but the matter has been debated a million times over and it comes under free speech.

[The Northerner]

25. Instead of fining swearing they should fine any hate speech

[jp11]

28. Lousy kids with their foul language we outta make a law

to penalize them for that filth it'd be so much better than actual parenting and instilling respect or consideration for other people in them.