In my view of the world Freedom of Speech means the ability to say speak without limitation or censorship by the government, as long as I am not causing danger to the lives of others.
If I desire to walk around every day and use the word tits as a substitute for the word good – as in “You did tits job with the presentation today, Jim” or “Those are some tits people” – I want to. Sure, I may sound like an asinine fool while doing so, but I want to have the ability if I so choose.
Apparently South Carolina State Senator Robert Ford feels that I should not have this ability if I ever visit their beautiful state. He is trying to pass legislation that would outlaw profanity. If one happens to break said law, a jail sentence up to 5 years and/or a fine up to $5,000 may be coming your way.
I see a number of issues with this, obviously, but a big problem with the proposed legislation – outside of that whole I want to say what I want thing – is that it does not clearly delineate what is considered profane. Also, it does not take into account the conditions under which the language was used.
We have to remember that Freedom of Speech, as defined under the 1st Amendment, is not without limits. That is to say Freedom of Speech is not absolute. According to the Supreme Court, Freedom of Speech does not include:
- Burning draft cards to protest draft
- Words likely to incite imminent violence
- Words immediately jeopardizing national security
- Newspaper publishing false and defamatory material
I don’t see how tits would fall into those four categories, do you?
I want to have the ability to use whatever language I decide that is appropriate for the situation and let the world view me however it so decides to because of my usage of vulgar words. Such laws create a dangerous environment allowing the government to restrict other activities, which has the potential to lead society down a very dangerous (and absurd) path.
Do I think this will pass? No. I believe that if this is all Mr. Ford can focus on, the people who voted him into office need to ask if he is truly serving their best interest. It’s not like there is economic turmoil that needs to be addressed right now…
That said, I think people who want to restrict or control how others think and/or speak need to fornicate off.
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