Anti Swearing Law

It all began when I saw this: Police To Be Able To Fine For Swearing

WTF?

Called the "Summary Offences Act", if amendments to this Act pass into law this will allow for Victorian police to issue on-the-spot fines for swearing. Some highlights:

• $240 on the spot fine for indecent language used in a public place and deemed to be indecent, disorderly, offensive or threatening.
• swearing is illegal on any public highway, road, street, bridge, race-course, cricket ground, football ground, wharf, pier, jetty, hall, theatre, public room or licensed premises (aka the PUB).
• a police officer is the sole judge of what is offensive language and what isn't.
• swearing can be an offence even if no one is present to hear it.
  

Where did this act come from? It was introduced in 1966 although cases had to be heard in court. The Labor state government introduced a trial in 2008 for on-the-spot fines and now, as part of the Baillieu government's law-and-order agenda, this is soon likely to pass into law.

The Attorney-General of Victoria, Robert Clark, backs the new laws. "We are going to give the police the power to issue infringement notices to send the message that this sort of obnoxious and antisocial behaviour will not be tolerated.". He also noted "Victorians ought to be able to go out at night with their families and not be ... offended". Yes, of course, when I take my kids to a late night lap dancing club I wont stand for any foul language.

Is this law necessary? Of course it is, revenue generation demands it! For the offended? No, use the old method of "hey mate, keep the language down" and if they don't then move on.

Swearing is as Australian as testicle-revealing shorts, it is a vital ingredient of Aussie contemporary verbal expression. I was born into a swearing society, my teachers swore at me, even the PM swore in public. You can't un-train a dog. I, for one, wont be curbing my fucking vocabulary anytime soon.