Swearing Ban in Bars?
As reported in the Tennessean, St. Charles, Missouri will review a bill to ban swearing in local pubs. In addition to swearing, “profane” music, table-dancing, and drinking contests are also named as activities to be prohibited. The proposal will be reviewed on Monday, January 14th.
I’m not familiar with St. Charles’ age restriction on bar patrons, but I do know that St. Louis is 21 and up. We are talking about full grown adults here. In other words, the government of St. Charles thinks that people cannot control themselves and need to be given a spanking for saying dirty words, and businesses cannot be trusted to regulate themselves.
Anyone ever hear of someone getting thrown out of a bar for saying a swear word in present day America? I’m sure the incidents are few and very far in between. The proprietors of pubs reserve the right to refuse service to those whom they deem unruly, and can ultimately throw them out. However giving someone the boot because they say a foul word is almost ridiculous as throwing a smoker out (in an area that actually allows smoking in bars); you wouldn’t have any patrons left to serve.
Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, even Pigeon Forge bars are not without the occasional lewd country/rock/techno/rap music playing on the old jukebox. If patrons do not approve, they reserve the right to leave. I have yet to hear an adult, after a night on Beale Street, complain about the dirty dueling piano songs at Silky O’Sullivan’s at city hall.
I daresay a ban on swearing is nigh unenforceable. What do they propose, a monitor or law enforcement officer at every bar? The second that someone says a “bad” word all patrons within earshot degenerate to first graders and point to the offender and in unison say “ooooohhhhhhh you’re in trouble!”
This is a bunch of puritanical nonsense.