Massachusetts’ town imposes fine on public swearing
June 13th, 2012 - 7:51 pm ICT by Aishwarya BhattMiddleborough, June 13 (THAINDIAN NEWS) Middleborough is a Massachusetts town of approximately 20,000 residents, famous for its rich cranberry bogs. The residents of this town have now decided to fine those who address others using profanity-laden or obscene language.
A proposal from the town’s police chief Bruce Gates to impose a $20 fine to those who swear in public was approved at a meeting last Monday night, where residents voted 183-50 in favor of the idea.
The town’s law enforcement authorities have insisted that the proposal does not intend to censor or control any casual or private conversations. The fines will attempt to crack down on loud, profanity-laden language used by some of Middleborough’s youngest inhabitants.
Although the move has been supported by most of the town’s inhabitants, who have expressed their happiness at the outcome of the vote, many others feel ambivalence over the proposal.
Matthew Segal, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, has criticized the decision taken by the majority of Middleborough’s population stated that the Supreme Court decided that the US authorities cannot ban any kind of public speech just because it contains obscene language or profanity.
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