South Carolina Seeking To Outlaw Profanity

MBGMorden writes "It looks like in an act that defies common sense, a bill has been introduced in the South Carolina State Senate that seeks to outlaw the use of profanity. According to the bill it would become a felony (punishable by a fine up to $5000 or up to 5 years in prison) to 'publish orally or in writing, exhibit, or otherwise make available material containing words, language, or actions of a profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious, or indecent nature.' I'm not sure if 'in writing' could be applied to the internet, but in any event this is scary stuff."

Comments

Not a big deal

[__aagmrb7289]

It is sponsored by ONE guy, and it was instantly referred to committee. Why is this even news? There is ALWAYS one guy that wants to stick his penis in the whole to see what happens... why should a group like a state's congress be any different?

Re:Ouch

[GuloGulo]

Perhaps in your haste you failed to read what you were responding to, but he asked "which amendment" added it "to the constitution".

Your link has fuck all to do with that, as you totally missed the point that IT WASN'T ADDED TO THE CONSTITUTION.

So apart from being factually incorrect and oblivious to how the Constitution is changed, yours was a nice post.

Re:the wet dream of every ultra fundementalist

[Giometrix]

"Really this is likely just another effect of the seating of the soon to be current US president. States like this, and thier white population, has been courted by the republicans for 40 years, rallied by the fear of the person who looks differnt. Times have changed, but the fear mongering has lasting effect."

I'd like to point out that Robert Ford is a Democrat and he's black.

Linky: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Ford_(politician)

CALM DOWN

[sourcehunter]

Ok folks - I live in SC - So I can say with some certanty - CALM DOWN.

1) This is just a BILL introduced in the Senate. I don't see anything on the House calendar indicating that it was also filed there, and if there was a SERIOUS push to make this happen, you'd see a similar bill in the house.

2) He submitted this SAME BILL the last THREE sessions. Thats the last 6 years. See session 117, 116 and 115. Quite frankly I didn't go back any further but he may have introduced this same bill before that, too. EVERY TIME this bill has been introduced, it has died in committee.

3) This guy has a terrible clearance rate. ZERO general bills on which he's the primary sponsor have passed in the last few sessions .

4) I bet if you look, you'll find this same type of legislation popping up in other state houses or county councils... and dying just as quickly. Someone's always going to try - doesn't mean they'll get anywhere and DOES NOT mean to freak out.

Re:Ouch

[Kozar_The_Malignant]

It was added to the Pledge of Allegiance in the mid 50s. Some of us are old enough to have learned it without the "under God" and had to relearn it with the new language.

there are no words that everyone can agree are bad

[trolltalk.com]

I think you're wrong.

I think everyone can agree that this word is definitely bad.

Now we can get the Bible banned! Awesome!

[trolltalk.com]

Sons of bitches just want to oppress self-expression. What impact will this have on music and literature. Do have any idea how many fucking books have swear words?

Check out the bible. "Piss" and "Bastard" and "Whore" - it'd be worth it just to see all the state-mandated bible-burnings, etc.

Contact Senator Ford

[Enderandrew]

* Robert Ford [D]
        Developer
        Dist. No. 42 - Charleston Co.
(H) P.O. Box 21302, Charleston, 29413

        Bus. (843) 813-1777 Home (843) 852-0777
(C) 506 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201

        Bus. (803) 212-6124 Home (803) 798-9220

Re:Cancel my trip to Charleston

[Phroggy]

The word Purgatory doesn't exist in the Bible at all. Sheol (Hebrew) and Hades (Greek) do, though.

Re:Ouch

[Enderandrew]

His name is listed as the sponsor of the Bill.

Re:Ouch

[DarkSarin]

No, those are the US Senators FROM SC. Ford is a senator in the SC State Senate. Very different beast. At least pay some attention to the facts on the ground.

All that said...while I don't typically swear much, this guy's a moron and needs to be removed from office painfully.

Senator Robert Ford

[Vinegar Joe]

He's a Democrat, he's Black and he's from Charleston.

http://www.scstatehouse.gov/members/bios/0606818109.html

Re:Ouch

[CaptCovert]

The 'No Swearing' law got overturned by the State Supreme Court of Michigan back in 2002. http://articles.latimes.com/2002/apr/02/news/mn-35828

Goddamn it, I am really fucking pissed off!

[rfc1394]

I wanted to be fucking funny by posting a goddamn comment with shitty profanity in it, only problem was I got fucked in the ass when the stupid browser ate my comment, and twice no less. This law is so motherfucking unconstitutional as to be dead the instant the son-of-a-bitch is enacted, but that's not why I'm mad; I'm actually kind of amused at how assinine these cocksuckers in the state capital can be. What I'm mad about is the browser ate my comments, twice and I let it get away with it.

Stupid Asshole me allows this shitty browser to lose what I typed in here, then I re-enter the message but instead of using an external program to store the comment until I could post it, I allow myself to be fucked-in-the-ass a second time and it loses my comment while I'm formatting it. I am typing this in a separate program, I won't get bit a third time.

Here's how the statute is unconstitutional:

• Cohen v. California , 403 U.S. 15 (1971), guy is wearing jacket in the county courthouse (but not in the courtrooms) which reads "fuck the draft." Is convicted for disturbing the peace. Conviction overturned; these mere words are inadequate to constitute disturbing the peace, and the idea does have First Amendment Protection
• People v. Boomer, 655 N.W.2d 255 (Mich. App. 2002), guy in canoe hits rock, dumps him into river, he responds with loud curses that are heard quite a distance away by police officer and a family with kids.

  The police officer ticketed Boomer, citing him for violating a more than 100-year-old Michigan law that criminalized the use of profane language in front of women and children.

  The Michigan Court of Appeals threw out Boomer's conviction and overturned the Michigan law, stating that "allowing a prosecution where one utters 'insulting' language could possibly subject a vast percentage of the populace to a misdemeanor conviction." The court went on to hold that the law violated the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech and that it would be "difficult to conceive of a statute that would be more vague." First Amendment Center

• Idaho v. Suiter (2003), man goes to police station to talk to them about a check fraud case dealing with his friend, but apparently they can't do anything with him because he's not the one who committed the crime. This gets him mad, and after he's told to leave, tells the cop to go fuck himself, and turns to walk out the door; is charged and convicted for disturbing the peace. Idaho Court of Appeals upholds conviction. Idaho Supreme Court overturns conviction; "the phrase was the vulgar equivalent of saying 'go jump in the lake.'"

There are far too many others to list, but even misdemeanor or fine-only charges have been struck down; a felony law wouldn't stand 30 seconds.