Whatever happened to profanity laws? Into the 80's, I can remember people going to jail for speaking curse words in public. It was an automatic trip to jail if you cursed a policeman. Was Texas the only state that did this? How did we loose these laws? It was a matter of manners to the public, and to our law enforcers. What do y'all think?
A "fun" cut & paste..... Watch your language out there, because profanity and blasphemy could lead to criminal charges. We might hope that First Amendment-protected free speech lets us utter profanities, blasphemies and other choice phrases that occasionally slip from our intemperate tongues. After all, the U.S. Supreme Court protected a man who wore a jacket into a Los Angeles County Courthouse bearing the words “*obscenity* the Draft.” That led to the famous Cohen v. California (1971) ruling in which Justice John Marshall Harlan — a conservative during the Warren Court years — uttered a phrase that has become First Amendment lore: “One man's vulgarity is another's lyric.” But hold on. Yes, in a free society adult citizens outside of special contexts (jobs, military, school) can speak their minds in the open air. But if you think old laws punishing profanity and blasphemy no longer exist, you're wrong — a surprising number of state laws still prohibit such speech. Even though the laws are rarely enforced, they are still on the books. Don't you solemnly swear Massachusetts’ blasphemy law threatens that: “Whoever willfully blasphemes the holy name of God by denying, cursing, or contumeliously reproaching God, his creation, government or final judging of the word, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, or by cursing or contumeliously reproaching or exposing to contempt and ridicule, the holy word of God contained in the holy scriptures shall be punished by imprisonment in jail for not more than one year or by a fine of not more than three hundred dollars, and may also be bound to good behavior.” Michigan's blasphemy law says: “Any person who shall willfully blaspheme the holy name of God, by cursing or contumeliously reproaching God, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” Oklahoma law provides: “Blasphemy consists in wantonly uttering or punishing words, casting contumelious reproach or profane ridicule upon God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Holy Scriptures, or the Christian or any other religion.” Uttering such speech is classified as a misdemeanor. Other states have general anti-profanity laws conceived to protect society from the potty-mouthed. Consider this Mississippi law: “If any person shall profanely swear or curse, or use vulgar and indecent language, or be drunk in any public place, in the presence of two (2) or more persons, he shall, on conviction thereof, be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or be imprisoned in the county jail not more than thirty (30) days each.” Another Mississippi law prohibits entering “the dwelling house of another” and using “abusive, profane, vulgar or indecent language.” Drivers beware, as well. Some states have laws that specifically limit cursing on public highways. A North Carolina law states: “If any person shall, on any public road or highway and in the hearing of two or more persons, in a loud and boisterous manner, use indecent or profane language, he shall be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.” Some anti-profanity laws were passed to shield women and children from foul-mouthed men. Consider this Michigan law: “Any person who shall use any indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.” Another Oklahoma law warns, “If any person shall utter or speak any obscene or lascivious language or word in any public place, or in the presence of females, or in the presence of children under ten (10) years of age, he shall be liable to a fine of not more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), or imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) days, or both.” Some states, at least, don’t impose hundreds of dollars in fines for cursing and swearing. Under Rhode Island’s profanity law, “Every person who shall be guilty of profane swearing and cursing shall be fined not exceeding five dollars ($5.00).” Are they enforced? Having some of these laws on the books is troubling from a First Amendment perspective. And some of them are still enforced. In United States v. Flowers (2007), a federal district court in North Carolina upheld the conviction of man for cursing at police officers on a public highway. The court interpreted the broadly worded profanity law as applying only to fighting words — words likely to provoke an immediate breach of the peace. Consider too the plight of the cussing canoeist Timothy Boomer, who in 1999 was charged and convicted for violating a Michigan anti-profanity law designed to protect women and children. Boomer hit a rock and took a spill while canoeing down the Rifle River. Upon resurfacing he let loose what a sheriff’s deputy characterized as three minutes of profanity within hearing distance of a father, mother and their two youngsters. Though a Michigan appeals court later tossed the conviction, Boomer remained known as “the cussing canoeist.” He told the Associated Press in 2002: “I'm a little more careful about what I say in public these days.” Perhaps more should take heed of Timothy Boomer’s warning. Check your state codes.
As I've stated on this discussion board before, we have evolved to a society where people cannot put three words together without two of them being curse words. My work brings me in constant conversation with folks who simply cannot hold dialogue without lacing in swear words. I find that sad. It is amazing how someone can be involved in an intense conversation... argument... tossing out vulgarities left and right. Yet, when you offer your side of the issue and do not use a single swear word, it can actually get their attention. About two years ago, I was on a project where the crew and I "bumped heads" more than once. They had to do a lot of rework to repair shoddy workmanship. I caught quite a few less than desirable adjectives describing their feelings. We worked through the issue and delivered a super project to the owner. As that crew was moving out, one of the foreman came into my office trailer and asked if he could visit a bit. He said he and a couple of the others noticed I had never used swear words during any of the heated exchanges. I quickly came back with my simply reply, "If you can find any person who has heard me use swear words, other than quoting someone who has, I'll hand you a $100 bill!!" So much can be accomplished using our great English language without fouling it interjecting four-letter expletives.
Profanity........I heard it onboard ship when I was in the Navy in late 60's thru early 70's. Profanity was at Woodstock. My step-dad used profanity quite often, but never the "f" bomb. We are now living in 2016 and profanity seems to be everywhere, unfortunately. Watch an Awards show on tv and there is so much "bleeping" out of the "f" bomb going on it's unreal. Of course, if a person says the "f" word towards a law enforcement officer, most likely that person will end up in handcuffs. Say it to a Judge in court and see what happens. I very, very seldom say the "f" word, and when I do, I hear about it from my wife. I automatically say "I'm sorry". She will say to me, "Christian's don't use that kind of language" and she is right. To a point, we just simply live in a very angry world. As Seniors, we get angry about our health/health costs, how family may treat us, finances and so on. Even the nicest, kindest Senior can accidently spit out a word of profanity sometimes.
I have never been a person that cursed. My grandmother taught me it was disrespectful to our Creator, each other, and ourselves. My sons never cursed around me, in fact they grew up with a little box that they had to put their hard earned money in if they even slipped up on little words. When I hear a stream of bad language I immediately want to be somewhere else. It could be my imagination, but it seems that good manners are starting to come back vogue. I'm not hearing as much it seems, or maybe it's all the gray I've developed this year.
When I was growing up, we seldom heard people swearing; but as I became an adult, it seemed like it became more acceptable. Back in the 50's and 60's, we did not hear swear words in movies, or on television . As it became allowed to use filthy language in the movies and on TV, then more and more people just started using this kind of language in their every day speech. I have no idea if we actually had laws against doing this; but if they were arguing in the street, or swearing at the police; then I am sure that whoever did that would be arrested. Now, it is an everyday thing on our street to hear the neighbor's from the apartments across the road, yelling and swearing at each other, and sometimes just walking down the road and swearing into their cell phones. It is truly disgusting, and @Ina I. Wonder , I do think that young people are more apt to be careful what they say when they are around older women; so maybe the grey hair IS why you are hearing less of it nowadays.
It is amazing to me that so many people can not hold a conversation without cursing. The songs that the kids listen to today are full of curse words that I find offensive. I do not let my grandsons listen to these songs out loud, they must wear their headsets since I can not stop them from listening to that stuff. Some people do not see anything wrong with those words but I do whether they come from grown people or kids or even on television those that curse.
@Will Lawrence , Thank you for taking the time to dig up all that information, I admit that I didn't know where to look. You gave so many good examples. I also admit my research skills are lacking, so please whenever you see me stumbling around jump in. It is much appreciated. @Ruby Begonia , I had a step-father that was a Texas State Trooper for many years, and I remember him teaching me of these types of laws. The man never believed in hitting children, but he recited Texas behavior and manners laws to us as we grew so we would understand the seriousness of respect for our police and others.
Thankfully I'm very good at tuning out what I don't want to hear. Even loud teenagers music doesnt bother me.
"... loud teenagers music..." I have no problem with folks of any age or culture playing loud music. I've been know to drive down the street with some 'Golden Oldies' turned up full blast in my truck. If parked beside someone at a stoplight, I will turn it down out of common courtesy. What does "trip my trigger" is playing loud obscene/vulgar music in areas where children/ladies are subjected to it. I have been known to be vocal at those driving through a grocery store parking lot playing "music" that seems to be nothing but "F" words. My wife says I need to mind my own business since I may get shot. Sorry! Just because that vulgar rap music is your 'cup of tea'... children should not have to listen to it. In fact, no one should have to listen to that obscene stuff!
Unfortunately most of the Rap the kids listen to is like that and these songs will be the "golden Oldies" of the future.
Proverbs 23:7. As a man thinketh, so is he. When I was a tad younger I used to frequent a particular neighborhood bar in which between the hours of 6pm to 1am a very cute bartender worked whom I had a serious crush upon. In those days I had a mouth that would embarrass the most seasoned cold hearted sailor, and I really didn't realize how bad it was until one fate filled day when the bar had only two people in it......the bartender and myself. She asked me a simple question that pretty much stunned me. She asked me if the way I spoke is how I really thought and felt? I suppose the look on my face allowed her clearance to continue speaking because she said that everyone knew I was an intelligent person but everyone had to get to know me in order to tell it because my language didn't show anything except stupidity, and to mellow things down, showed myself to be something akin to a mammals posterior. Perhaps that day was the first day on my road to a better life or maybe it was simply a reckoning with myself but the long and short of it is I quit cursing. Oh yeah, I do have a temper and sometimes the old Bobby comes out, but very, very rarely because I know that what is truly in my heart is what I want to come out of my mouth without the superfluous stuff in between each word. Since then, I despise hearing such language in public or at a workplace and will almost always call someone on it. It's never caused a fight or even bad feelings so far as I know because sometimes people just need to know, like I did, how they sound to others. That all said, I wish I had a ray gun that would shoot the heck out of these dern ghetto blasters in cars spewing forth a bunch of negative garbage and teaching our young how NOT to communicate!!
With all today's wireless technology, surely someone can come up with a remote volume control for autos driving past you. In an instant, have the stereos playing this disgusting music hit 140 db to 150 db. 150 will almost sure rupture some eardrums that would require medical help to repair. Most speaker systems, though, would blow before they got that high. Blow the smithereens out of their speaker systems, while seeing them wince in pain from the suddenly high-decibel sounds and see if that cures the issue. If not, at least we had some fun!!!!!