The Fourth of July marks a time to commemorate the rights and freedoms upon which this country was built. This year, the ACLU would encourage everyone to remember that they believe this also includes the right to swear. (via ACLU)
After more that 750 citations issued by the Pennsylvania State Police for profanity or profane gestures (that, if convicted could warrant up to 90 days in jail and a fine of $300), the ACLU recently decided to take action, filing lawsuits that argue that swearing, though crude, is constitutionally protected speech.
One suit includes the case of Lona Scarpa, a woman who, after avoiding being hit by a swerving motorcyclist, shouted a profanity at the biker. When Scarpa approached police officials to report the incident, the cycler was issued a citation… so was Scarpa.
Is dropping an f-bomb in a crowded theatre comparable to screaming FIRE? The ACLU thinks not and continues to file suits against departments that, as Marieke Tuthill, a legal member of Pennsylvania’s ACLU, puts it “should be focused on protecting public safety, not enforcing manners”.
So Americans, rest assured in the wake of your Independence Day celebrations, that there are people out there, like members of the ACLU, working to defend your rights.
To life, liberty, expletives!