If "ASSHOLES" Is Acceptable, What's The Heck Is Next?

During Monday's meeting of the so-called SAFETY Committee, there was a new word added to the growing list of cuss words spoken at public meetings in City Hall.  Over the past two years or less, I've heard the words shit and bullshit thrown around several times at meetings (once each from me, Henry Haddad and Dominic Merante, and the rest from Rob Perry, who, one of his clerks once told me, has a "foul mouth").  Prior to Monday, though, I had never heard the word ASSHOLES uttered.  The times sure are a-changin', ain't they! 

At the 32-minute mark of the meeting, during a somewhat lengthy discussion about a recent incident in the 700 block of Warren Street involving a so-called first amendment auditor that got HPD's attention, committee chair Henry Haddad, apparently not quite sure what these "auditors" do or who they are, had a question for the others in the room who did know.  Interrupting Dominic Merante, Henry said, and I quote:  "Is this one of those YouTube assholes... that comes up to you in public?"

Police Chief Mishanda Franklin, seated directly across the table from Henry, didn't frown on Henry's word of choice, instead quickly responding, "Yes."   Council "president" Margaret Morris, seated in the public area, had no reprimand for Henry's choice of the word ASSHOLES when jerks or people would have been more appropriate considering the surroundings.  

Henry finished up his commentary with this:  "We have every right to spray them with a garden hose, right?"

Parking Captain David Miller did not agree.  "I don't think so," he told Henry.  

Maybe Henry Haddad has a problem with the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the assholes who wrote it.

Is everyone feeling much safer now?

About ten minutes prior to Henry's ASSHOLES comment, 3 young people entered the City Hall chamber and sat together, all with notebooks.  They looked to be high school students observing the meeting.  Let's hope they took detailed notes for their civics teacher.

Henry Haddad seems to me to be quite full of himself.  I wouldn't say he is an asshole, though I don't know him very well.  But if I did feel that way about him, would Margaret Morris be okay with me directing the word ASSHOLE at him (or any council member, including her) during public comment time?  How about A-HOLE?  STUPID ASS?  DUMB ASS?  Considering what Henry felt comfortable saying during Monday's meeting, I guess all of those terms would have to be acceptable coming from me or anyone else attending a public meeting.  Because if a committee chairperson can use the word ASSHOLES (or ASSHOLE) to describe someone not in the room, why can't anyone attending a meeting utter that word to someone who is in the room, including directing it at a council member or members?  How about a council member, perhaps Margaret or Henry, referring to a member of the public in the room as an ASSHOLE (or a few of them as ASSHOLES)?  Would that be considered proper meeting decorum?  Talk about a first amendment issue and slippery slope!

Of course, if I were to be crass and impudent enough at a public meeting by referring to Margaret Morris, Rob Perry, Dewan Sarowar, Jason Foster, Mishanda Franklin, David Miller or Henry Haddad as an ASSHOLE, I'm sure Mishanda Franklin would do her best to arrest me for "disrupting a public meeting."  How about "you are all a bunch of f'ng assholes"?  How well would that go down?  Margaret Morris and Henry Haddad probably wouldn't mind.  At least they shouldn't!

Soon enough, someone will drop an F-bomb at a council or committee meeting, and Margaret won't know what to do about it.  After all, there's no such thing as a list of off-limits cuss words anymore, is there?