Watch what you say. The police are listening.
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009
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Kenosha City Council is about to go where few other City Councils have gone.
Kenosha aldermen on Wednesday will consider an amendment to the city’s profane language ordinance that would allow city police officers and firefighters to issue warnings and tickets if profane, vile, filthy or obscene language is heard while the officers/firefighters are in the line of duty.
This is George Carlin material.
Alderman Patrick Juliana, the sponsor of the amendment, said the change is intended to allow authorities to quell situations where the language may cause further disturbance at a crime scene or during an emergency response.
“This does not mean that a police officer will hear something and will give you a ticket,†Juliana said. “It all comes down to a situation where it leads to escalation or incitement to another level.
Oh, this would allow the police to issue tickets, but it doesn’t mean they will?Â
Racine is the only other one of the state’s five largest cities that has an ordinance directed solely at offensive language.
“We call it verbal abuse. It’s kind of a catchall,†said Stacey Salvo, a paralegal for the city of Racine.
Racine’s ordinance states: “No person shall use, state or utter in another person’s presence any abusive, obscene or threatening word, gesture, phrase or language intended or naturally tending to provoke or incite an act of violence by such other person.â€
Other cities back off
 The state’s three largest cities — Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay — do not have ordinances that refer only to offensive or inciting language. All three say language issues would fall under their standards for disorderly conduct.
“If something with language was going to be charged, it would be under disorderly conduct, which is kind of broad ordinance about conflict that could cause a disturbance,†said Kurt Behling, assistant city attorney for the city of Milwaukee.
Madison cited similar standards, and Green Bay said language had to meet certain requirements to be considered for its disorderly conduct violations.
You know, I think police officers hear vile, filthy and obscene language every day.
I think they know when that language crosses the line of disorderly conduct and when it doesn’t.Â
I don’t think ordinances such as this serve any purpose at all, except it provides fodder for local political junkies like myself.
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September 9th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
You know, I have thoughts I’d like to have cleansed. Is there a government department to help me? I just can’t live my life by myself. S’pose that could be covered by ObamaCare? Oh, if only politicians were brave enough to pass it. We need more politicians telling us what to do, yes indeed.