The name of the rally was coined after a phrase uttered by a Brighton 19-year-old.
According to Amanda Whitesell of LivingstonDaily.com, Colin Andersen was hanging out in Brighton with his friends when things went wrong:
Colin Andersen, 19, was hanging out with friends April 11 in a parking lot next to the pavilion and Imagination Station when he became upset that a friend, who had been ticketed for skateboarding, was told by police to leave. He said he swore under his breath, saying “This is f------ bulls---.” He said no children were around or heard him swear. However, police ticketed him for disorderly conduct. Andersen challenged the ticket in court and lost; he was fined $200.
However, after a few Google searches, I found the antiquated state law that prohibits indecent language in mixed company. It dates back to 1897 but was updated in 1938.If you're not well-versed in Michigan statutes from over 100 years ago, this story may not make a lot of sense.
Act 328 of the 1931 statute reads:
"Indecent, etc., language in presence of women or children -- Any person who shall use any indecent, immoral, obscene, vulgar or insulting language in the presence or hearing of any woman or child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor."
The rally begins at 12 p.m. at Brighton Mill Pond. It was organized by James Weeks, a candidate for Michigan's 8th Congressional district.
According to Whitesall:
Parents are being advised to avoid the Brighton Mill Pond area with their children Saturday afternoon, and police say they will be prepared.
It's important to note that this isn't the first instance where someone found it necessary to protect women and children.
In 2002, the Michigan ACLU fought and reversed the conviction of the "cussing canoeist," also known as Timothy Boomer, of Roseville. Here's an excerpt from the press release:
Boomer was convicted in August, 1998 for yelling a stream of profanities in earshot of a woman and her two children after he fell out of his canoe on the Rifle River.
*I extend any and all necessary apologies to women or children who have read suggested obscenities in this story.
-- Lucy Perkins, Michigan Radio Newsroom
