Swear-Free: Town Moves to Cut Down on Use of Profanity

(MIDDLEBOROUGH, Mass.) -- Middleborough, Mass., is like many small American towns with its white picket fences, kids playing in the park — and swearing.

Too much swearing, according to 63-year-old Mimi Duphily, a Middleborough resident and member of the town’s Downtown Business Coalition. She decided to do something about it.

“Kids were standing on the sidewalks, well, adults too, really, and yelling at someone like 100 feet down the block, using incredible profanity,” Duphily said.

So Duphily brought up the issue to the Downtown Business Coalition and word eventually got around to Middleborough Police Chief Bruce Gates. Now Chief Gates has called on the citizens of Middleborough to give police the authority to fine swearing citizens with a $20 ticket.

“We used to have a law against swearing but it wasn’t enforced because that meant it was criminal,” Duphily said. “But now, if you pay the ticket, then it’s done and over with.” That, she says, makes the law more enforceable.

The proposition first has to be agreed upon by the people of Middleborough, who vote on it at the annual Town Hall meeting.

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