The House Judiciary Committee was scheduled to hold a bitchfest, um, hearing today on a bill by state Rep. Daniel Hunt (D-Dorchester) to amend the state disorderly-person law (which also prohibits "common nightwalkers" from making lewd suggestions to passersby) by adding a section making it a crime to call somebody a "bitch."
A person who uses the word “bitch” directed at another person to accost, annoy, degrade or demean the other person shall be considered to be a disorderly person in violation of this section, and shall be subject to the penalties provided in subsections (a) and (b). A violation of this subsection may be reported by the person to whom the offensive language was directed at or by any witness to such incident.
The proposed amendment as currently written would not outlaw the use of foreign words used to express the same sentiment or English synonyms such as harridan, battleaxe and, of course, witch. It also does not address calling somebody a "bastard" to their face.
The Globe has more. In Massachusetts, residents have a constitutional right to submit proposed legislation; there is no requirement the legislature actually pass them.
List of 200 perjorative terms for people.
10 Stinging British Insults.
French insults.
25 Chinese Insults that You Should Know.
Spanish swear words, slang, expletives.
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Comments
This is one of those times...
By merlinmurph
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:06pm
...where living in MA is embrassing
This is actually great
By BostonDog
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:40pm
Read the Globe article. Massachusetts is one of the few (only?) states which allow citizens to propose legislation directly. This bill was written by a normal citizen, not the office of Rep. Daniel Hunt. By law or practice, the representative of the citizen submits the bill by request even if they don't agree with it.
In this case, Rep. Hunt was foolish or lazy and forgot to indicate it was from a resident by request, not by the legislator's office directly.
So the contents of the bill is foolish and will likely die quickly in committee. But the fact anyone can propose legislation and that the Commonwealth needs to at least consider it is great. Democracy in action. Be happy we have this option.
thanks for this
By berkleealum
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:43pm
great context.
So great!
By bosguy22
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:43pm
This is 100% why we should have a full-time legislature!
Thanks!
By adamg
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 6:47pm
I've updated the post to reflect the fact that Rep. Hunt didn't think this up.
Let me guess
By Sock_Puppet
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 8:43pm
It was his brother Mike?
Second guess
By Refugee
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 9:32pm
Or his brother Mitch?
Is this in the Massachusetts constitution?
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 10:16pm
Thanks for the info, BostonDog.
It is great that this can be done. (Not the specifics but the ability.)
Do you happen to know if this right is specified in our constitution?
I can see John Adams calling for this.
Putting aside how stupid this
By ZachAndTired
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:19pm
Putting aside how stupid this is, is it even constitutional?
Almost certainly unconsituitional
By Gary C
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:24pm
In protest I shall be changing my legal name to Bitch, just to f* with the system.
I can't see it being constitutional...
By ScottB
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:37pm
But there are a heck of a lot of other nasty words one could use to get around the prohibition on a single word. SMDH.
Sacre Bleu
By Nowy Liberté
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:19pm
Bollix to that
Auf dicke Hose machen
The good news
By Michael
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:25pm
You can still call that person a lover, or a child, or a mother, or a sinner and a saint, and need not feel no shame
I'm here for the deep 90s
By Make Boston Bus...
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:46pm
I'm here for the deep 90s reference.
Don’t be a bitch
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:52pm
Call them a bitch. I dare ya.
Well played, sir.
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:21pm
Well played, sir.
The patriarchy strikes again
By capecoddah
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 3:50pm
First we won Mother's Day, thanks to Nabisco, now this.
I did an archive search on UHub to see who calls people bitches and here are the results:
90 percent women
10 percent black males
Sheriff Tompkins
No
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:51pm
You didn't.
More fake news
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:53pm
And you know who is black and who is male or female ... how again?
Easy
By capecoddah
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 9:14pm
Because the female bitch articles use "she" and the black male bitch articles use "black male".
There was one that didn't though....
https://www.universalhub.com/2011/emotions-run-hig...
At first I was thinking he was a very elderly Japanese man, but I really didn't want to add another group to my study and was hoping no one would call me on it.
You're a sniveling liar
By lbb
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 11:09am
You're a liar and a troll and you need to go shrivel up somewhere out of the public view.
Percentages
By SamWack
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 7:52pm
I have also done some research, and have ascertained that capecoddah is 90% female, 10% black male, and 100% bitch. I'm pretty sure he's not Sheriff Tompkins, though.
Could be
By capecoddah
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 9:19pm
That could be why I am really offended that males are winning female sports like crazy as of late.
https://pjmedia.com/trending/male-cyclist-sets-new...
The patriarchy strikes again
Nah
By lbb
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 11:09am
You're just an asshole.
Zooooom
By capecoddah
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 11:49am
You are missing the point.
This law would hardly affect white males. The law is designed to punish those who call people bitches to their face. It is simply not a cultural thing for white guys to tell anyone that they are a bitch.
Look, I know it is hard to accept that even Woman of the Year is won by guys nowadays
https://www.google.com/search?q=jenner+woman+of+th...
But I assure you, it is NOT your average male causing this sort of thing.
We just keep winning because of it. It is like a Twilight Zone plot or something and just because I find it funny does not mean I agree with it.
Whizzzz
By lbb
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 1:19pm
You are playing with yourself.
You are blowing every dogwhistle you can grasp for every imaginary (but inflammatory) non-problem, like trans people who are doing things that in no way impact your life.
Question for you: how are you still alive? How did your head not explode because same-sex couples were ruining your marriage?
On the contrary
By capecoddah
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 1:51pm
And that is the point exactly.
Speaking as a man, it is not cool us men are winning so many womens sports records. It is not cool when men win women of the year. We have our own records and our own Man of the Year awards. I say we do not need to take the awards from women. That is just wrong.
But...But...
By StillFromDorchester
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:08pm
What if the person is an actual bitch? What then? HaHa
They got the lawyers involved
By Gary C
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:25pm
They cleverly used the word "person" so it's still OK to say that to a female dog.
You obviously missed the "Pig Skin" story
By Nowy Liberté
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 5:46pm
Recently a local start-up and Mass General did the thing -- nearly unthinkable / unimaginable a few years ago
For the benefit of a seriously burned patient -- instead of a human cadaver skin graft -- the burn was covered with live "modified pig skin" -- the pigs supplying the skin had some genetic work done which prevented the human body from rejecting the foreign skin cells
In essence the pig-skin and the human body were graft and host -- in effect the person was in [a very small part] part pig and mostly human
Clearly this could probably done with some dog parts as well using a genetically modified dog -- then if the donor was female -- the person-dog hybrid --- could quite properly be addressed as yo -- bitch
And so it goes
I just took a DNA test
By Lecil
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:35pm
Some of us wear that term as a badge of honor. Drives the incels crazy!
Yup!
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:49pm
It is also an excellent way to know, as a woman, that you have put some jerk in his place while refusing to be treated as a subhuman who is not allowed to establish clear boundaries.
I'm getting a body cam
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 4:53pm
A whole lot of misogynistic pricks who love to throw that word at any female who dares not worship them will end up in court.
What about female dogs?
By Lunchbox
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 5:06pm
.
They can't talk, so they
By baustin
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 6:17am
They can't talk, so they probably won't run afoul of this. Just don't take them for a walk at night on the Common though...
In some gay circles...
By Friartuck
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 6:18pm
It's used as a term of endearment....
in that case
By Lisfnord
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 6:37pm
...it's not being used to "to accost, annoy, degrade or demean" as described in the language of the bill, above. But since it also specifies it has to be directed at the person, does it count if you turn to your friend and say "Wow, she is such a bitch!" because then the comment is directed at your friend, not the presumed bitch.
Also wondering does such a law exist for a$$hole, d*ck, douche or any other not-so-polite word?
Or am I just being a nitpicky bitch?
What if you passive agressively use it after they walk
By Section 77
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 6:36pm
Away from a friendly talk they had with you? Asking for a friend.
Magoo sez
By MisterMagooForYoo
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 7:05pm
Magoo is going to file legislation that makes it illegal for Magoo to post on Uhub. Wait, what?Magoo.
"Common NIghtwalking"
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 7:57pm
I remember that when I was young and gay in the 70s (I'm still one of those things) "common nightwalking" is what police would use to arrest male hustlers when they wanted them off the streets for a while. It was easier than arresting them for prostitution.
Bitch better have my money!
By anon
Tue, 10/22/2019 - 9:07pm
Bitch better have my money!
Conspiracy Theory
By anon
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 6:20am
What are the chances this is some right-winger posing as a liberal to try and show how we've gone "too far?"
Or just somebody trolling?
Will truth be available as a defense?
By Anony
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 10:21am
No? Well then, Guilty as charged, your Honor
My dog is a b*tch
By bigredinmass
Wed, 10/23/2019 - 12:18pm
But will she still be one after getting spayed?
Wait a minute there buddy...
By Confused
Thu, 10/24/2019 - 12:19pm
You're spraying your dog? What is this, a crossover post from the grafitti article? It's a bitch move, anyway. You should be ashamed.
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