Profane Pumpkin Creates A Stir

wlky ^ | 10-31-03

[wheelgunguru]

13-Year-Old Girl Carved Words 'Just For Laughs'

DETROIT -- There's an empty spot on the porch at a house in Warren, Mich. where a pumpkin used to sit.

The profane pumpkin, crudely carved and on the front porch of the home, was taken away after it created a stir with neighbors.

The pumpkin was carved by 13-year-old Christina Hall and said the crude display was "just for laughs." The pumpkin contained the words "(expletive) off."

"That's just inappropriate," said Carrie White, an outraged neighbor, who lives next door to the cursing pumpkin.

She called Warren police and sent an e-mail to Mayor Mark Steenburgh, who promised to contact the chief of police.

The response was "Sorry, we can't help you," White told WDIV TV. It seems the pumpkin is protected by the First Amendment and it's a case of freedom of speech.

The pumpkin is now gone, however. Warren police changed their position on the issue, saying if the object causes a public disturbance, they can remove it or order it removed.

In this case, the family removed it themselves Thursday night before police arrived and it's now in the trash.

[CyberCowboy777]

unbelievable.

How long before a city tells a resident that Christmas trees are a public disturbance?

[Porterville]

I put whatever I want on my front porch, screw the gov. and nosey neighbors.

[FourPeas]

It seems the pumpkin is protected by the First Amendment and it's a case of freedom of speech.

The pumpkin is now gone, however. Warren police changed their position on the issue, saying if the object causes a public disturbance, they can remove it or order it removed.

Ummmm, no. The nazis marching in Skokie could easily have been argued to cause a public disturbance (actually it was if my aging memory serves me correctly), but that wasn't considered adequate to disallow the march -- and this was on public land. Just because words are offensive, they can't be cencored by the government, even if it is causing the neighbor's grief.

Now, would I want this kid livning next door to me? Nope.

[Sloth]

This one is even more offensive:

[rcocean]

Agreed. Funny how a lot of people will call the cops, gossip, write anonymous letters,"retailiate", etc. rather than talking to their neighbors like adults.

I don't understand it - especially when you're going to live next to these people for a long time.

[discostu]

But the cops and the mayor and the chief of police?! That's some major overreaction. Start with talking to the person then maybe go to the cops, as for the mayor and chief of police it's a Halloween pumpkin it'll be gone soon.

[discostu]

That's the other problem with that kind of acceleration, now it's established that these two households can't settle their differences without help. Expect cars with one wheel over the property line to get towed away and noise complaints and tons of other police presence, then comes the petty vandalism and things just spiral out of control. The cops might as well open a station next door because that's how often they'll be stopping by.

[LilithUnfair]

"They're all gonna laugh at you!!"

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]