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Old 06-12-2012, 04:35 AM
 
Location: Near the Coast SWCT
83,509 posts, read 75,269,804 times
Reputation: 16619

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Did you guys hear about this?

"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."

Swear in public? Pay $20 fine in Mass. town | Fox News
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Old 06-12-2012, 04:37 AM
 
Location: Near the Coast SWCT
83,509 posts, read 75,269,804 times
Reputation: 16619
I wish NY would inforce this law. They would never be in debt. LOL
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Old 06-12-2012, 05:19 AM
 
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,023,154 times
Reputation: 28903
Yeah, it was on the news last night. I think it's ****ing nuts!
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Old 06-12-2012, 06:01 AM
 
Location: Florida
2,011 posts, read 3,551,543 times
Reputation: 2748
Although I hate to hear profanity in public (have kid), I doubt this is constitutional.
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Old 06-12-2012, 07:21 AM
 
130 posts, read 166,000 times
Reputation: 98
Default 1st Amendment suspended in Middleborough

Are the people in this backwards town too small minded to realize that there's such a thing as the 1st amendment?

Swear in public? Pay $20 fine in Mass. town - Boston.com
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Old 06-12-2012, 07:29 AM
 
199 posts, read 948,441 times
Reputation: 172
Agree. In 17th-century MA under the puritans, you could get fined or have a punishment imposed for swearing or profanity, but today we have the US Constitution and 1st Amendment on freedom of speech.

I don't like teens or children swearing either, especially at a public playground, but they do have constitutional rights. I predict that the ACLU might get involved since they routinely take up cases that jeopardize freedom of speech (Free Speech - Recent Court Cases, Issues and Articles | American Civil Liberties Union).

ACLU says the US Supreme Court has ruled that the government can't prohibit public speech just because it contains profanity.
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Old 06-12-2012, 09:44 AM
 
Location: Norman, OK
3,478 posts, read 7,253,668 times
Reputation: 1201
Quote:
Originally Posted by maurb View Post
Are the people in this backwards town too small minded to realize that there's such a thing as the 1st amendment?

Swear in public? Pay $20 fine in Mass. town - Boston.com
Your right to use curse words loudly and openly cannot impinge on my rights to enjoy public property or have a profitable business, and if it does, then it is a violation of my rights.
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Old 06-12-2012, 10:19 AM
 
1,135 posts, read 2,493,816 times
Reputation: 1974
Default Only in MA

,

Last edited by chris410; 06-12-2012 at 11:49 AM..
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Old 06-12-2012, 10:32 AM
 
Location: in a cabin overlooking the mountains
3,078 posts, read 4,374,582 times
Reputation: 2276
I would think that would fall under public disturbance.

There is a weirdo who drives around the Vermont town where I have my business and he parks his car in random driveways (he did it in mine once when I wasn't there on the weekend - freaked out the neighbors). Then he gets out of his car and proceeds to cuss out his girlfriend on his cell phone at the top of his lungs. I actually saw him do this one time when I was at my house and saw him pull into the driveway across the road. Seriously if someone is oblivious to the outside world and all you hear is &^$& @#$#*% $&$^#&%*^@ ^#*&^**&^$@%@#* for 20 minutes at full volume you do kinda wish there was something you could do about it.
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Old 06-12-2012, 11:05 AM
 
1,135 posts, read 2,493,816 times
Reputation: 1974
Quote:
Originally Posted by wxjay View Post
Your right to use curse words loudly and openly cannot impinge on my rights to enjoy public property or have a profitable business, and if it does, then it is a violation of my rights.

Thats great... but do we really need a BLEEPING nanny law/ordinance to enforce what should be common courtesy? welcome to the peoples republic of Massachusetts..
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