Middleborough has approved a fine for swearing in public. (Boston: house, ordinance)

[Cambium]

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

[Cambium]

I wish NY would inforce this law. They would never be in debt. LOL

[DawnMTL]

Yeah, it was on the news last night. I think it's ****ing nuts!

[CarawayDJ]

Although I hate to hear profanity in public (have kid), I doubt this is constitutional.

[maurb]

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

[wivenhoe]

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.

[wxjay]

Originally Posted by maurb

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.

[chris410]

,

[FrugalYankee]

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.

[chris410]

Originally Posted by wxjay

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..