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Never ceases to amaze me. A fellow sees the need to pull a gun, killing two people & he's a hero. No one questions his actions, motivations or methods. Anyone that does, must be an idiot.

But if it's a LEO, nothing said or done is ever acceptable.

My hats off to these people that take up the cause of trying to uphold the law. Knowing that nothing will ever be "good enough", nothing will ever be correct, and everything they ever say or do will come under the microscope of scrutiny by all.

Thank you for the job you do.

Found this viewpoint from a law professor (probably should know something)

"Originally, he was just going to... 'please don't use that type of language'. You know, there was children in the area and other families and stuff. All I can say is it appears that things escalated to the point where he had to take further action."

South Texas College of Law Professor Gerald Treece says it appears that's where she messed up: "She could have walked away from this if in fact she had merely stopped talking about whatever was vulgar or offensive."

But he adds, that's not illegal. "You have a right to be really upset at police officers, that's not the problem. You don't have a right, however, not to follow their lawful orders. If a policeman wants to stop me, I have to stop; if a policeman tells me to do something, I have to do it."

Decker is a licensed peace officer in Texas.

eric wrote:Mr. cone, could you please tell us what you really mean to say, minus the goody- goody talk? Were you there, did you see what transpired?

Ask yourself why ANYONE would bother with this issue if it really was ONLY a single cuss word, as the woman is saying? Come on now, this was a super Wal-Mart, she was in automotive looking for lantern batteries.

Now take a look at the video with the Chief, he tells what happened. He says the woman continued to curse after the Fire Marshall told her to stop and then told him, "It's none of your f----g business."

Adding these two known items together tells me that she was in a busy part of the store cussing out a UNIFORMED OFFICER. What choice did she leave him? Was he just going to walk away? What type of confidence in our law enforcement community would that give us?

As far as my "goody-goody talk" is concerned, how would you prefer to discuss this issue?

I would like to think that I am making sound, solid arguements that would provoke some thought amoung the others reading this forum. Maybe in doing so, the next time they are in public (or private) and a situation occurs, they will have already had the discussion, already fought the battle, and in having done so, be better equiped to handle the matter, whatever the outcome.

Using foul language is no different than using a firearm without proper training.

Any fool can pop off a few rounds without regard to target, placement, or backstop. Sometimes, it can be done without harming anyone. But then there are other times that someone is going to get hurt. May not be serious, may be forgivable, but it could also be deadly. Leaving scars for a lifetime.

Regardless, it could have all been avoided by proper training and a little restraint.

In an interview, the Chief says that she did more than just "said a dirty word"

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5579366

boomerang wrote:

M9FAN wrote:Zacherl said the assistant fire marshal had no choice.

"When you're in uniform, you have to uphold the laws," the fire chief said. "It's like if he was on the way home and saw a drunk driver — he had to act."

If he saw a drunk driver he would HAVE TO perform a traffic stop? Really? What's the penalty if he doesn't? A class "F" misdemeanor?

Now I'm wondering if they can pass a law against Muslim prayer. Freedom of religion and Freedom of speech are both protected by the First Amendment.

Huh? Do you think a fireman is going to allow a drunk driver to proceed along his merry way? I've "had to act" to stop a drunk driver & I'm only a private citizen. My "act" was to call 911 and follow the car until the police showed up to take over.

It's a bit of a reach to bring prayer into a discussion on foul language.

Let me see.. a Wal-Mart the day before a hurricane hits. A woman with her mother and daughter enter the store & when she cannot find any batteries, she lets out an expletive. According to her, that's all she does, nothing else. But the assistant fire marshall decides to go all the way outside to his car in order to get his ticket book and write her a ticket. Even goes to the trouble to cuff the lady.

Does this really sound like she was having a "private conversation"? Why would any LEO bother with anything more than a verbal warning if that was really all she did.

I'd bet good money that she was going off like a bottle rocket & the Captain did the right thing to keep order. Any chance of getting the Wal-Mart camera footage?

And as far as the child, be prepared for CPS to be involved with this one.

I disagree, people need to learn how to express themselves properly.

For instance, take using the f-word. What did you mean when you said it? Did you mean you want to have sex? Something was broken? You've hurt yourself? All could be true using the same word and for a single word to have so many meanings it becomes a "noise" word. A "noise" word has no meaning at all and is simply filler in a conversation.

Why would you choose to speak words that have no meaning? Would it make sense to say this...

"Well grape, you know, that grape guy that we went to grape school with. Well him and his grape wife are coming to see our grape house this grape weekend. So I grape guess we'll be cleaning the whole grape house so they'll be grape impressed. Should we call grape Ted and Ellen? They went to grape school with him too. Guess we'll have to cancel the grape get together with the grape Jones', they'll be grape pleased with us. It's the fourth grape time we've grape begged off on them."

The noise word is just filling space, it's not needed. They do not add to the conversation in any way. So many people use foul language without any regard for the people around them. Whether they be adults or children. And even as an adult, I find foul language, without restraint, offensive.

SCone wrote:§ 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an
offense if he intentionally or knowingly:
(1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar
language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance
tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;
(2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public
place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate
breach of the peace;


(7) discharges a firearm in a public place other than a
public road or a sport shooting range, as defined by Section
250.001, Local Government Code;
(8) displays a firearm or other deadly weapon in a
public place in a manner calculated to alarm;


(d) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor
unless committed under Subsection (a)(7) or (a)(8), in which event
it is a Class B misdemeanor.

The way I'm reading it, profanity + the display of a firearm = Class B misdemeanor

I could see that happening.

A Class B gets your license suspended?

§ 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an
offense if he intentionally or knowingly:
(1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar
language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance
tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;
(2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public
place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate
breach of the peace;
(3) creates, by chemical means, a noxious and
unreasonable odor in a public place;
(4) abuses or threatens a person in a public place in
an obviously offensive manner;
(5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other
than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local
Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he has no
right to occupy;
(6) fights with another in a public place;
(7) discharges a firearm in a public place other than a
public road or a sport shooting range, as defined by Section
250.001, Local Government Code;
(8) displays a firearm or other deadly weapon in a
public place in a manner calculated to alarm;
(9) discharges a firearm on or across a public road;
(10) exposes his anus or genitals in a public place and
is reckless about whether another may be present who will be
offended or alarmed by his act; or
(11) for a lewd or unlawful purpose:
(A) enters on the property of another and looks
into a dwelling on the property through any window or other opening
in the dwelling;
(B) while on the premises of a hotel or
comparable establishment, looks into a guest room not the person's
own through a window or other opening in the room; or
(C) while on the premises of a public place,
looks into an area such as a restroom or shower stall or changing or
dressing room that is designed to provide privacy to a person using
the area.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (a)(4)
that the actor had significant provocation for his abusive or
threatening conduct.
(c) For purposes of this section:
(1) an act is deemed to occur in a public place or near
a private residence if it produces its offensive or proscribed
consequences in the public place or near a private residence; and
(2) a noise is presumed to be unreasonable if the noise
exceeds a decibel level of 85 after the person making the noise
receives notice from a magistrate or peace officer that the noise is
a public nuisance.
(d) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor
unless committed under Subsection (a)(7) or (a)(8), in which event
it is a Class B misdemeanor.
(e) It is a defense to prosecution for an offense under
Subsection (a)(7) or (9) that the person who discharged the firearm
had a reasonable fear of bodily injury to the person or to another
by a dangerous wild animal as defined by Section 822.101, Health and
Safety Code.

DoubleJ wrote:anyway. thought police, slippery slope and all...

When you verbalize, it's no longer a thought.

Nothing bothers me more than walking in a store or mall and hearing someone cursing. A fellow just the other day was trying to explain to his buddy how something fit together & every other word was F-this, or F-that. I could understand why his friend was having such a hard time understanding him, you had to weed-out so many extra words.

To make matters worse, when he noticed I was watching him, he shouts at me, "What the F~~~ are you looking at?" Could have gotten ugly, but about that time, one of Mesquite's finest walked around the corner and asked, "Is there was a problem?" And amazingly his language suddenly cleaned up. i excused myself as they continued their conversation.