Sen. Robert Ford pushes to outlaw profanity

Sen. Robert Ford pushes to outlaw profanity

www.counton2.com

State Senator Robert Ford is hoping to outlaw lewd language and is pushing for a bill that would prohibit profanity.

Under the pre-filed bill, profanity could land you in jail for up to 5 years and/or cost you up to $5,000 in fines.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Really?!? I guess you better watch what you say from now on if this guy gets his way.

As the woman said in the article "the First Amendment is not absolute. You cannot say whatever you want whenever you want to."

As one of the posters in the comment section noted - "Also, I’m curious how various other crimes can be considered misdemeanors, whereas “saying naughty words” can be a felony with up to 5 years imprisonment." -junglecat

The world is getting crazy.. soon you won't be able to even "think" ill of someone.



www.counton2.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by TwiTcHomatic


Well the woman in the article is wrong.

The only thing you cannot do is scream fire in a crowded theatre.

Which basically means you cant call it free speech in a situation where it is your speech and only your speech which causes an understandable panic in the masses which ultimately leads to many deaths.

That is the only limit on Free speech... responsibility for human life...

Profanity is Profanity.. and you can say whatever you want anywhere you like as long as the owner of that forum allows it.

In the public space you can say whatever you want as well, as long as you do not become a nusiance to the public and they have you hauled away.

In other words I can't stand in the middle of central park and scream at the top of my lungs for hours on end during the middle of the night.

But cursing? Please...

reply to post by HunkaHunka


Agreed, even a child learns (usually) at an early age the decorum of profanity use...

I can understand how standing in the middle of main street with a megaphone spewing obscenities would be a problem, but normal everyday profanity use?!? My Grandfather is going away for a looong time if that is the case.. of course I guess I will be there with him too.

Now we have to be fined for and possibly imprisoned for this.. I think somewhere along the road, we are losing our way.

Wow...

"What are you in for?"
"I hit my thumb with a hammer and yelled the F word"


I can't see this going through. I really don't think you have anything to worry about. The US may be steadily losing rights, but I don't think they've gotten THAT fascist.

As I posted in the other thread regarding this topic.


I currently live in SC (will be getting out as soon as F-ing possible) and I find this to be a perfect example of idiocy in SC. There are schools closing all over the state, the States health care budget has been cut all the way down to limiting services for the mentally handicapped and some have called it a "dangerous situation" for them. SC depends heavily on tourism which took a huge hit when gas hit $4/gallon and then another hit after the economic crash. It also depends heavily on sea trade from other countries. They have recently lost the biggest client Maersk, which by the way is the largest shipping container line in the world, due to the state of SC putting heavy taxes on them. Maersk tried to negotiate and SC simply refused to adjust to help them out. More money lost.

SC is backwards to the hilt. All this crap going on and this guy is focused on this profanity bill. And to be honest, this kind of thinking is very prevalent throughout the state, from top to bottom, politician and civilians.


SCREW YOU Senator Robert Ford!

[edit on 23/1/09 by Pfeil]

reply to post by johnsky


You never can tell about what will pass through. Look at it this way, you already have jobs looking at your personal sites to see what you have posted and how you feel about things.

Granted you should not post anything on the net you would not want your mother to see but still... our freedoms are slowly being sapped from us.

Wow, our first line of defense against terrorism, but word s**t makes them CRY.

SAD, very, very sad...

Here is video by Lewis Black (warning, some profanity ahead, lol).



[edit on 23-1-2009 by 5thElement]

Good to see elected officials busy tackling the biggest problems facing the country and how well your tax dollars are spent.

Seriously, this is a joke right?

reply to post by Britguy


I wish it were a joke.

It just shows how much our values are getting skewed in this new "politically correct" atmosphere we think the world should be in.

There are too many other domestic problems our country needs to worry about, before we start crying over the sounds produced by a person's vocal chords.

Oh wow. If this guy had his way I would have been a repeat felon at the age of thirteen. This is inane, now we've got people trying to limit the vocabulary of the public? How many crimes that shouldn't be crimes are we going to instate? That's all we need, "serial profanity users" filling up the prisons.

At least we'd be able to close down the high schools, all the "students" would be in prisons.

Who decides what words are profanity? What standard there is? They are only words.

Wow. This is *&!@ ridiculous!
What is the difference between saying S*** and 'Shoot'. They have the same meaning IMO.

And here is the link for the acutally law:

www.scstatehouse.gov...

S. 56

A BILL
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-370 SO AS TO MAKE IT UNLAWFUL TO COMMUNICATE PROFANITY IN A PUBLIC FORUM OR PLACE OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATION; BY ADDING SECTION 16-15-430 SO AS TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF DISSEMINATING PROFANITY TO A MINOR AND PROVIDE A PENALTY FOR THE OFFENSE; TO AMEND SECTION 16-15-305, RELATING TO DISSEMINATING OBSCENITY, SO AS TO SPECIFY BOTH ORAL AND WRITTEN PUBLICATIONS; AND TO AMEND SECTION 16-15-375, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS FOR PURPOSES OF MORALITY AND DECENCY OFFENSES AGAINST MINORS, SO AS TO INCLUDE THE OFFENSE OF DISSEMINATING PROFANITY TO A MINOR.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 3, Chapter 15, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-15-370. (A) It is unlawful for a person in a public forum or place of public accommodation wilfully and knowingly 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.

(B) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

SECTION 2. Article 3, Chapter 15, Title 16 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 16-15-430. (A) It is unlawful for a person to disseminate profanity to a minor if he wilfully and knowingly publishes orally or in writing, exhibits, or otherwise makes available material containing words, language, or actions of profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious, or indecent nature.

(B) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

SECTION 3. Section 16-15-305(A)(3) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(3) publishes orally or in writing, exhibits, or otherwise makes available anything obscene to any a group or individual; or"

SECTION 4. The first undesignated paragraph of Section 16-15-375 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"The following definitions apply to Section 16-15-385, disseminating or exhibiting to minors harmful material or performances; Section 16-15-387, employing a person under the age of eighteen years to appear in a state of sexually explicit nudity in a public place; Section 16-15-395, first degree sexual exploitation of a minor; Section 16-15-405, second degree sexual exploitation of a minor; Section 16-15-410, third degree sexual exploitation of a minor; Section 16-15-415, promoting prostitution of a minor; and Section 16-15-425, participating in prostitution of a minor; and Section 16-15-430, disseminating profanity to a minor."

SECTION 5. The repeal or amendment by this act of any law, whether temporary or permanent or civil or criminal, does not affect pending actions, rights, duties, or liabilities founded thereon, or alter, discharge, release or extinguish any penalty, forfeiture, or liability incurred under the repealed or amended law, unless the repealed or amended provision shall so expressly provide. After the effective date of this act, all laws repealed or amended by this act must be taken and treated as remaining in full force and effect for the purpose of sustaining any pending or vested right, civil action, special proceeding, criminal prosecution, or appeal existing as of the effective date of this act, and for the enforcement of rights, duties, penalties, forfeitures, and liabilities as they stood under the repealed or amended laws.

SECTION 6. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor

reply to post by PsykoOps


But words CAN hurt.. ever had a dictionary thrown at you?!? Kidding..

I would like to see a list of the words in question though. They seemed to leave that tiny bit of info out of the article. My thinking is it is more of racial slurs than common everyday curse words.

Our prisons are overcrowded now from Marijuana use.. can you imagine how overcrowded we would be from profanity use?

this seriously is a load of BS. i am practically speachless it is beyond rediculously stupid. How on earth are these politicians going to get away with this. and why would they want to waste our hard spent tax dollars on locking up pretty much everyone..because pretty much everyone uses foul language...and for 5 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This bill so being brought forward because they do not know what to do with the budget . This way they do something dumb to get the people off there case and they will not be asking the questions that need to be asked.

This has been through the supreme court before and it will not stand . But while everyone is talking about how stupid this is they will be messing around at the state house trying to find away to tell the people that they have lost there money and taxes.
And that they have driven off all the company's that did bussness with them by raising the fees out of site.

These company's will go to states that will work with them and those states will at least have some funding from them.

It is sad to see the State governments go to these low's . And it tells us just how inept they are .
We as a people are going to have to vote out these people and get some in that can handle this mess and get things going forward. The old way just will not work anymore.

This is no different from WWII when the government had to weed out all of the peace time officers that could not handle the task ahead of them and put in Officers that can work under stress and do what needs to be done.

reply to post by PsykoOps


You must be psychic... or maybe great minds do think a like . This would never work as there are so many loop holes. For example what if you said the "F" word spelling it with a Ph instead lol. Technically there is no way they would be able to enforce this. If it ever were to be enforced we could make up our own cuss words! Swernoodle would be mine.

The man himself.

I cant get the video to play but I think this is the Senator himself talking about the bill.


BTW, this guy also led a crusade against baggy pants. Im glad he has his eyes on the future.

Incase anyone would like to email him...here ya go

www.scstatehouse.gov...

Senator Robert Ford
District 42 - Charleston Co.
Contact Address:
(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
E-Mail Address: [email protected]




He looks like he curses more than I do...and cursing is literally my second language! I'm definitely preparing an email for him!

S&F we have to let as many people see this and those in SC....stop voting him in!

this is a publicity stunt for a politician, nothing more. It has already been established by the Supreme Court that only language that causes violence to become immanent can be prohibited. Standing in front of another person screaming filthy words as a provocation to a fight is illegal. violence is a REQUIRED element of breach of the peace, which is the basis for these type laws. No immanent violence, no offense.

Who is to decide which words are illegal? it is like flipping someone off: it is totally legal. Who can say which finger means what? it is totally interpretive, and that is too loose for the law. No way this will go anywhere. It wastes the taxperys money defending it; it will be thrown out in some federal court.

The stupid politician who started the whole thing will claim that ' liberals' in the system stopped him from protecting us all...retch!

If language is meant to provoke a violent retaliation, then it is illegal. If the intent is merely expressive, then it is not. The cop would have to prove that violence would have occurred had he not arrested the person doing the nasty talking. merely being ' offended' is NOT illegal, and offense is a necessary means to begin dialog; If we could never offend, change would never come. It used to ' offend ' many people that blacks would dare sit down in the same restaurant...but the offense taken could not overcome the rights of the people...and in this case the same result as always:

a court will throw it out the first time it is used and the only ones to profit are the lawyers and crooked politicians...business as usual.