"Go %&#@ Yourself" - unless you live in Middleboro...

[Jim in CT]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

Constitutional infringements are unacceptable regardless of whether or not those infringements promote "courtesy" or not. Smoking isn't Constitutionally protected, so that's an apples to oranges comparison.

We don't need the government regulating what's socially acceptable and what is not. On the subject of "courtesy", there was a time when the government agreed it was "courteous" for black people to sit in the back of the bus.

I see slavery as comparable to this (in theory, not in magnitude). The laws said that blacks were not equal. Collectively, we evolved to a different (better) position, and thanks to our constitution, we changed (improved) those laws.

Things like this should be handled locally. If the citizens of this town decide this is best for their kids, let 'em vote on it. Democracy in action.

I would be curious to see if there's a free speech argument to be made. I have a right to free speech, but that doesn't mean I can go to the kindergarten bus stop and hang pornographjy on the telephone pole, right? I assume that's correct? if I don't want my kid exposed to porn, maybe I don't want him exposed to obscenity.

Anyway, if it's a violation of free speech, the ACLU will be all over it. If obscenity does not qualify as protected free speech, then the town has every right to regulate it.

I'm glad my town had no such law when I was in my late teens and I was an idiot...