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BS: Michigan may Curse
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BS: Michigan may Curse |
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Subject: Michigan may Curse From: JohnInKansas Date: 02 Apr 02 - 08:32 PM I'm pretty sure this incident was mentioned in a previous thread, and someone probably wrote a song about it. I couldn't find the previous discussion, but I'm sure many have been waiting anxiously for an outcome. From the Wichita (Kansas) Eagle newsrag, April 2, 2002: Michigan court: It's OK to curse in public Associated Press TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -A state appeals court Monday struck down Michigan's 105-year-old law against using vulgar language in front of women and children, throwing out the conviction of a canoeist who let loose a stream of curses after falling into the water. The three-judge panel unanimously overturned the 1999 conviction of Timothy Joseph Boomer. A jury had found him guilty of violating the law by swearing repeatedly after tumbling into the Rifle River. He was fined $75 and ordered to work four days in a child-care program, but the sentence was put on hold while the case was under appeal. Enacted in 1897 and slightly reworded in 1931, the law says that anyone using "indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor." The appeals court declared the law unconstitutional, saying it would be "difficult to conceive of a statute that would be more vague." . "Allowing a prosecution where one utters 'insulting' language could possibly subject a vast percentage of the populace to a misdemeanor conviction," the court said. Sanity is so rare, but then the voices in my head told me this might happen. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: catspaw49 Date: 02 Apr 02 - 08:46 PM Michigan huh? That's interesting John. "Michigan" is already a curse word here in Columbus, Ohio but it's an okay curse word. The rivalry between Ohio State and the Univ. of Michigan resulted at one point in an OSU student plastering his VW with bumper stickers that said "FUCK MICHIGAN." He was arrested, but the judge ruled that this was not obscene as it reflected community sentiment. What can I say? I guess both fuck and Michigan are okay in the right circumstances. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 02 Apr 02 - 09:17 PM It's allright to say "Jesus Christ" if you're swearing, but politically incorrect to say it with reverence. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: michaelr Date: 02 Apr 02 - 10:34 PM True story - in 1983, in the state of Georgia, I was convicted of using abusive language to a widow, a Daughter of the Confederacy, who lived across the street from me. I called her a bitch (I had reasons). The sentence was - get this - TWO YEARS IN JAIL!!! I was lucky to get the sentence converted, due to some good-ol'-boy networking between my attorney and the judge. I had to agree to leave the state immediately. When it took me too long to pack my stuff, I was re-arrested, and the lawyer had to sweet-talk the judge again! Then the local cops escorted me to the county line to make sure I was really gone. I've lived in California ever since. Song challenge, anyone? Arlo? Cheers, Michael |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Lucius Date: 02 Apr 02 - 11:01 PM As a culture we have lost the ability to edit ourselves. I'm not as prudish as I am bored with what I'm hearing and seing on bumper stickers, shirts, blasting stereos and TV. My concern is that of a father and teacher. Society has an obligation to protect its citizens from these morons. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Clinton Hammond Date: 02 Apr 02 - 11:57 PM "Society has an obligation to protect its citizens from these morons." How do you tell one from the other??? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: GUEST,Dan (in Michigan) Date: 03 Apr 02 - 10:23 AM I can not tell you how relieved I am that I feel safe to swear in Michigan again. (I have been on pins and needles pending that decision.) I agree with you whole heartedly, Lucious, society has an obligation to protect its citizens from these morons that would so blatantly disregard a citizen's right to free speech. Some may argue that the right to "free speech" is intended to protect only "Political" speech, well in a democratic society ALL speech is political. I would not argue that the guy was arrested was not a drunken jackass, or that i would want my kids to be like him, but he has a right to be a drunken jackass, doesn't he? It would have been a terrible embarrassment for the state of michigan if free speech had notprevailed in this case. Dan Mulligan |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Jerry Rasmussen Date: 03 Apr 02 - 11:03 AM Whenever anyone tells me something is "Free," (phone salespersons) I always ask, "O.k., but how much does it cost?) I just keep pressing them until they finally have to admit that there are hidden fees, monthly charges or some expense that they don't tell you about, up front. Everything that is "free," costs something. "Free" speach has its price, like everything else. And yet I believe that it needs to be protected. That doesn't mean that I am sick of the obscenities in every-day life. As once forbidden words lose all shock value, once forbidden violence in movies become mundane, the only choice seems to be to escalate the vulgarities and violence. Somewhere along the line, the spiral will collapse on itself. We're just not there, yet. It's not just speech.. it's all the idiots on the highway who cut you off, change lanes without signalling and create all this "road rage" in response. Now. they've expanded the term to Airport rage, check-out line rage. Maybe there'd even be e-mail rage, or Mudcat rage. It's just harder to slug someone in the mouth through the internet.
Me, I'm feelin' jes' fine. The first victim of all this rage is the person who feels it, and has to live with it. Jerry |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Herga Kitty Date: 03 Apr 02 - 05:58 PM Well, I'll cross over **** Michigan! - "Victory for cussing canoeist up **** creek without a paddle" made the English papers today, even. And gloriously ironical and paradoxical it was too. Mr Boomer (clearly by nature as well as by name, since his expletives, when his canoe was upended on a rock and deposited him into the freezing Rifle River, had carried round the bend to the sensitive ears of the Smith family)had his conviction overturned. But only after the case had been carried live on Court TV. The policeman who booked Mr Boomer apparently said he swore up to 75 times, but prosecutors then sought to establish, in the televised court proceedings in the early afternoon hours when children were coming home from school, exactly which words had been used. The courtroom, it was reported, was full of lawyers using the foulest language you could imagine (I suspect this may be underestimating Catters' imaginations, but my Guardian provided no details). There must be several songs in there (not counting Flanders and Swann's "Pee, po, belly, bum drawers). |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: kendall Date: 03 Apr 02 - 09:35 PM No man ever need be a failure. He can always serve as a bad example. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Bert Date: 04 Apr 02 - 03:30 AM When I first saw THIS it was attributed to A. P. Herbert. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Charley Noble Date: 04 Apr 02 - 09:33 AM I'm not sure what Michiganders have to say in some Michigan towns but here are some suggestions: Hell-It ain't so hot! Gilead-Let's get bombed! Temperence-I'll drink to that Climax - Let's ****! Shaftsburg-Well, that's the chorus of the song!;~) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: kendall Date: 04 Apr 02 - 10:19 AM I'm for plain speaking, but, only up to a point. The definition of manners is simply Making others comfortable. Gutter language makes civilized people with some command of the language uncomfortable, so, why do it? All it shows is your lack of vocabulary. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Grab Date: 04 Apr 02 - 12:41 PM OTOH Kendall, what other parts of your vocabulary are suitable for accidentally falling in a freezing cold river, or hitting your thumb with a 2lb hammer, or dropping an engine-block on your foot? :-) Graham. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Lucius Date: 04 Apr 02 - 07:01 PM Grab, what other parts of your vocabulary are suitable for accidentally falling in a freezing cold river, or hitting your thumb with a 2lb hammer, or dropping an engine-block on your foot and your child or mother is standing there :-> The fact that my ancestors shed blood to defend their freedom of speech is not lost on me. My daddy made sure that I knew that with our freedom comes responsibility. Now, he had had extremely colorful language, but he also had the good sense of knowing when and when not to use it. Sort of like the adage, "A gentleman is a person that can play the accordion, but doesn't". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 05 Apr 02 - 01:56 PM As a child a variety of non-cussing curses were developed. Each added to for the appropriate level of pain. By practicing them over and over they became, automatically, the first thing out of my mouth when sudden painful disasters struck.
i.e. "Dad Blasted" "Dad Blasted Stinking Filthy ----whatever" "Dad Blasted Stinking Filthy son of a low down horse stealing, wife swapping, bilge swallowing, bald headed, Sea Captain."
Or for muttering at motorists a corrupt formulation of Latin, "Filium Ranum Sempter Tibi Moderante Cullsus"
Sincerely, |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: Hollowfox Date: 05 Apr 02 - 02:02 PM Lucius, as a mother I worried about the same thing when my children were young. As they grew older, since they were going to hear these words and phrases anyway, I pointed out how boring the repetition of those few words and phrases is, and I got the timing right for once, thank heavens. I've also taught them, more or less, to consider their audience when they speak, so they don't say "crap" in front of their grandmother or the school principal. (They're probably more afraid of what my mother would do to them. *g*) They know the words and the definitions, but they've discovered that their abundant vocabulary has lots of more interesting choices. You're right to be concerned, but these straits can be navigated. Good luck. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: SharonA Date: 05 Apr 02 - 02:34 PM What I don't understand is why Boomer wasted all that invective over the tipping of a canoe. Anyone who's ever used a canoe knows that it's not exactly the world's most stable watercraft! Anyone who takes a canoe onto an ice-cold river and doesn't expect to end up cold and wet deserves what he gets!!! Stupid-@$$ §u¢£in' $#*%. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Michigan may Curse From: kendall Date: 05 Apr 02 - 03:07 PM An old guy back home used to say.."Why you mossy faced, snuff colored, bear baiting skin of a nightmare hauled over a boot jack"! Being a sailor, I've been known to use certain colorful words, but, never in front of anyone who would be offended. If a man is out in the woods and swearing blue fire; and there is no one around to be offended, is he wrong? Of course not. There was that time when my little 5 year old daughter asked her mother if she could go out and "listen to daddy work on the car." That was after the time when I rolled out from under the car, and she was standing there with her arms folded, and said "Is that son of a bitch broke again"? Of course I didn't know she was there. |