I hope this doesn't give our City Council any ideas. Tom, Carl and I could be
in trouble.
Annoyed by Anti-Annoyance Law
I'm annoyed by a new law passed in the Michigan town of Brighton City.
According to the ordinance, police may fine anyone who is too annoying in
public. Up to $500. The ordinance states: “It shall be unlawful for a person to
engage in a course of conduct or repeatedly commit acts that alarm or seriously
annoy another person and that serve no legitimate purpose.”
Obviously, many different things annoy many different people, most having
little to do with the possible or actual commission of a crime.
If you and I are annoyed, think about how annoyed the folks are who actually
live there. One resident, Charles Griffin, told ABC News that the new law is
“the most ridiculous thing in the world.”
Area resident Chetly Zarko has written to the council asking them to repeal the
law, arguing that it is “unconstitutionally vague . . . and impedes on free
expression rights under the First Amendment.”
Council members say critics are blowing things out of proportion. They say
people aren't going to be ticketed for talking too loud or making complaints to
public officials, but for things like persistent harassment of an ex-girlfriend
or the like.
But words mean what they say, don't they? They don't mean what they would have
meant if only you had said what you meant.
In the spirit of being careful with words, let me revise my opening statement:
I am more than merely annoyed.
This is Common Sense. I'm Paul Jacob.
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Paul Jacob is President of Citizens in Charge and the Citizens in Charge
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