Profanity Laws???

Here's a brief summation of my encounter today with a Hartford, CT Police Officer in a public place of business while standing in line and waiting my turn to speak with a representative.

After waiting several monotonous minutes behind a man at the counter, myself and everyone else in line were upset because this guy couldn't resolve his problem and continued giving the representative a hard time.

I just happened to be the ram amongst the sheep today...

ME: Hey, what the fuck is the major malfunction here?  Can we get the line moving?

TEN OTHER PEOPLE IN LINE:  Yeah, c'mon, let's go.

ME: Get the fuck out of the window and talk to a supervisor, you're holding everybody else up.

Guy gives me a dumbfounded look like a puppy dog that just got kicked.  A uniformed cop happened to be there and came strolling up to me in line.

ME: Oh, do I looked pissed off?  Yes, I'm fucking pissed off.  This guy has been at the window for 15 minutes.  If he can't resolve his fucking problem then he should talk to a supervisor and stop holding up the line.  This is way beyond fucking insanity at this point.

COP: Sir, I'm asking you to stop the use of profanity or you will have to step outside.

ME: Really?  There are laws against the use of profanity?  Since when?  Did the Constitution get rewritten? 

COP: You've been warned.  No more profanity.

ME: Look, I respect you and I respect the job that you do, but I am not aware of any laws that restrict my freedom for choice of words.

COP: You've been warned.  No more profanity.

ME: I'm not going to argue with you.  I just want to take care of my business and get out of here.

COP: Fine, stay calm.

ME:  I am calm.  I just happened to be pissed off now too.  That's not against the law either.  I haven't threatened anyone.  I haven't been physically violent with anyone.

Guy finally walks away from the window and the cop gets out of my face.


My question is, do you have any profanity laws in effect within your County, State, Province, or Country which prohibit profanity? 


This is BULLSHIT.

Suppression of my right to free speech.

I'm sure thats exactly how it went down

Go away now son and let the adults talk.

Oh, sorry, the man who wants the right to say "fuck" alot in public is MUCH more mature than me

I know a whole bunch of people are going to come in, bash cops, and say fuck this law, that law, etc.......

Bottom line, I have a truck driver mouth amongst friends..........however, IMO, you could have just stopped using it around strangers in a public place when asked....or you should've never used it in the first place

and this coming from someone who would've wanted to tear the initial customer's head off



and to answer your question, I don't know much about profanity laws anywhere, and if there are any......but regardless of whether or not it held up in front of a judge, a police officer could take you into custody for disorderly conduct for almost anything........is it right?  Maybe not in most cases, but it happens

You completely miss the point dunce.  Go sit in the corner.

Look, I respect you and I respect the job that you do, but I am not aware of any laws that restrict my freedom for choice of words.

I'm pretty sure you were exercising your right to the first amendment of the United States Constitution

Did the officer have a right to confront you? Maybe. If he thought things were going to get disorderly. Did he have the right to tell you what to say? Hell no!

There was nothing even close to being disorderly.  It was just conversation, not even heated.  The other people waiting in line were happy that somebody had the balls to speak up.

There are a few profanity laws on the books here in CT, by individual towns, but I can't find anything under the city of Hartford or the State of CT.

Show some class and dont be a douchebag in public

My question is, do you have any profanity laws in effect within your County, State, Province, or Country which prohibit profanity? 

No but they can call it...public lewdness, offensive exhibition, intimidating a victim or witness, inciting to riot, creating a hazard, disorderly conduct...etc..  


i don't think what the pig did was suppressing your right to free speech...all he was trying to do was make sure an old man didn't go postal in a gov't building. trying to keep the peace...


it' a sad state of affairs because our rights are being violated and most don't know about it or care.


calling Peter Finch... we need you!

disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct come to mind

just dont tell the cop he cant arrest you

studies show, 9 times out of 10, they most certainly will

Yeah...not the best idea to be dropping f bombs in public. I am also a little confused as to why you would feel the need to confront the guy that was holding up the line? I mean do you know what the problem was between him and whom he was talking to? I mean, I am not bashing you but cursing in public---NEVER looks good unless you are at a bar, strip club, etc. 

A man is judged by both his actions and his words. You failed both tests miserably today.

Like it or not, profanity is perceived to be an indication of an uneducated man who doesn't have the vocabulary to express himself properly. I would assume that you have no children of your own, seeing that you still act like one.

 Question:  Do you have any profanity laws in effect within your County, State, Province, or Country which prohibit profanity? 

The GoldenGoose, it doesn't sound like it was a case of just profanity per se,but a violation of the fighting-words doctrine..curse words depending on the mode of delivery could incite some people to fight ..

The right of free speech is not absolute at all times and under all circumstances. ...some state statutes prohibit the use of offensive,lewd,obscene and insulting language toward persons in public places,that tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace..including making inflammatory comments to a city official.

Having said all that ..I agree with you.. fuck the dumb cluck at the window and the public union worker,that allowed him to hold up the process for so long ..

Way to just step up and vent man, fuck me people are uptight about this kind of shit these days.  I feel like I live in a bubble of politically correctness can't even have a meaningful conversation anymore.

Am I surprised you're an A-hole??

 

A little research shows me that profanity laws have constantly been struck down by higher courts over the last several years.  The United States Constitution protects all forms and types of speech, including speech that offends. We are lucky to live in a country in which even offensive and unpopular statements constitute protected speech, as the alternative is a country in which conformity is required and dissent is not tolerated.

Not if that speech is threatening or inciting in nature.

You said the people around you were saying "Yeah, c'mon, let's go" which could easily be interpreted as inciting.

You directed your "Get the fuck out of the window" at the person which could easily be interpreted as threatening.

You were not simply being offensive but were attempting to intimidate.
 
Perhaps YOU should have gone to the supervisor to resolve the issue.

That was probably woopdurittis holding up the line.

The cop made no mention of any threatening, intimidation or inciting on my part, none whatsoever.  He made it quite clear his problem was with my use of profanity and he stated that twice.

Vulgar and uncouth on my part?  Absolutely.

Unlawful to use profanity in public?  Absolutely not.  Cop was overstepping his authority as far as I'm concerned.  I cannot find any City or State ordinance that says otherwise.

I and others on this thread know your type GGoose, Just keep your hole shut & wait. 

Very appropriate comment coming from Ohio.  Land where the State Troopers give speeding tickets for traveling 58mph, 3 miles over the 55mph limit, and people haven't the brains or the balls to complain. 

Enjoy your Police State.

You've got exactly what you've earned.