I’m annoyed by a new law passed in the Michigan town of Brighton City.
According to the ordinance, police may fine anyone who is too annoying in public. Up to $500. The ordinance states: “It shall be unlawful for a person to engage in a course of conduct or repeatedly commit acts that alarm or seriously annoy another person and that serve no legitimate purpose.”
Obviously, many different things annoy many different people, most having little to do with the possible or actual commission of a crime.
If you and I are annoyed, think about how annoyed the folks are who actually live there. One resident, Charles Griffin, told ABC News that the new law is “the most ridiculous thing in the world.”
Area resident Chetly Zarko has written to the council asking them to repeal the law, arguing that it is “unconstitutionally vague … and impedes on free expression rights under the First Amendment.”
Council members say critics are blowing things out of proportion. They say people aren’t going to be ticketed for talking too loud or making complaints to public officials, but for things like persistent harassment of an ex-girlfriend or the like.
But words mean what they say, don’t they? They don’t mean what they would have meant if only you had said what you meant.
In the spirit of being careful with words, let me revise my opening statement: I am more than merely annoyed.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
8 replies on “Annoyed by Anti-Annoyance Law”
I am annoyed with the Left Wing! And, I am sure they are annoyed by me.
No wonder people have so little faith in government. Does this town have Term Limits for its Council Members? If not, they better get on it and while they are at it support Term Limits for Congress.
Note that the city name is “Brighton”, not “Brighton City”. Sadly, it’s my hometown.
That law would irritate the Hell out of me. As you stated, let them be specific in what they call “Annoyed”. There are many in puiblic office that don’t know where their ass is and that goes from the President down to the city councils. What the average politician wants is POWER. That’s it, just power. That and all they can derive from/with that power. Silly laws are on the books in a lot of communities throughout the country and this just another “silly” law written by a dunce.
The more laws we have, the less freedom.
Maybe the citizens of Brighton should file annoyed complaints against the city council.
LAWS TAKE AWAY FREEDOMS.
CITY CODES ALSO TAKE AWAY FREEDOMS.
I call the Code Enforcement the Gestapo/KGB of America, because they inspect your home when you are not there and write up a notice of any infraction.
People who have trailers were able to park them in their driveway, now, even though they cannot get them in the back yard, they are ticketed for parking on their drive.
It is a code violation, I guess another word for law and we hire people to patrol the streets.
That money could be used for schools.
WE MUST PETITI0N OUR ELECTED TO GET THE STUPID LAWS THEY MADE REVERSED.
I live here also. It has been stated by the local paper that this ordinance was written for me.
The city was made to return a 320k cemetery trust fund, give its seniors a cable TV discount, remove a council memeber whose residence was in another city, have aesbestos reports done before building renovations, were stopped from dumping sewage plant debrie into a watershed, open meetings violations, nepotism, etc.….
I know our charter by heart.… If the citizens must follow city laws, so must our elected officials.
As our city will “NOT” agree to any form of transparency resolution, they spend a minimun of $5.32 per F.O.I.A. (certified mail)costs to keep the truth from the tax payers.
One has to wonder what it is they have to hide that is SOOOO ANNOYING.
I didt understand, Maybe the citizens of Brighton should file annoyed complaints against the city council.