Earlier this month, the town of Middleborough, Massachusetts, passed an ordinance declaring public use of cuss words a punishable offense worthy of a $20 fine. As you can imagine, there were people who took issue with this new ordinance and today some disapproving residents (and at least one non-resident) of the anti-profanity measure rallied to voice their opposition in the most colorful way imaginable: by shouting out cuss words and holding up swear word-bearing signs.
Honestly, it is somewhat absurd to think that a $20 fine is going to redirect a behavior that has existed within humanity since people first learned to talk. Cussers gonna cuss, and haters gonna hate. As victimless “crimes” go, cussing ranks right up there among other offenses like leaving the toilet seat up and chewing with your mouth open. Still, the ordinance practically begs for opposition from some young upstarts and, lo and behold, if you build it, they will come.
Adam Kokesh, who organized the opposition really, excitedly decried the government as a “bully” for passing such an ordinance. Kokesh, who actually doesn’t even live in Massachusetts but in New Mexico, said that the issue wasn’t just about the right to free speech (even though it pretty much is, as a fellow supporter points out in the video below) and went on to escalate the anti-profanity ordinance as some larger metaphor for why government sucks.
Kokesh has made a small name for himself as a regular anti-war protester and even has his own website up, Adam Versus The Man. According to that site, he made a failed bid to represent New Mexico in the House of Representatives in 2010.
YouTube user rachelabombdotcom uploaded a video of Kokesh explaining to reporters why he thinks today’s protest is necessary. And yes, he uses some purple language, so if you are in possession of some delicate sensibilities to language, you’ve been warned.
Meanwhile, the same government body that implemented the $20 fine-for-cussing ordinance in Massachusetts is said to be considering a ban on Civil War beards, prompting further speculation that Kokesh’s next rally in Middleborough could gain the support of re-enactors of the 28th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.
[via Boston Herald.]