- Neighbors want offensive signs, posted by property owner, stopped
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
What is offensive language?
Residents of Nephi who live in the south west section of the community would like the city council to take action against a property owner in that area of town in order to get the individual to stop posting what they termed to be “vulgar” signs.
“We want to ask you guys (city council members) to do something about it,” said Greg Ferre.
The person they were upset with was John Phillipsen, who owns and operates heavy equipment and who owns a property at the western reach of the city on the south of the town. He was not present at the meeting.
Ferre was acting as spokesperson for the 18 concerned citizens who attended city council meeting to protest the painting of graffiti-like signs with swear words on them. The signs are on and around the property of Phillipsen located in the south west section of the community.
Will Latham, had taken photos of the signs painted on cars, trailers and buildings at the location. Those photos were presented to council members so they could discuss the problem with knowledge of what those living in that area of the city were tolerating.
“We would like the council to look at these photos,” said Ferre.
As a culture, we have a general agreement of which words are “swear” words and which words are acceptable. In addition, citizens have the expectation that the law should be fair for everyone and compliance should be expected of all persons in like situations.
“We understand that you do not think you should have to put up with signs like this in our beautiful community,” said Mark Jones, mayor.
It was reported to council members that some of the signs, in this case, were not on private property. Perhaps they could be removed, it was suggested.
Ferre said he was once told that a sign posted by an individual renting his building needed to be moved from the city right-of-way. He complied, he said. But now he wonders why the painter of the signs is not being held to the same standard.
He also wondered why he was told to mow the weeds by a barn on his property and yet the person posting the vulgar signs is not being told to remove them because they are also eye-sores and a blight to the attractiveness of the community.
In addition, Rolayne Ferre said, the signs are in an area of homes where there are children. As a result, those young children in the neighborhood have asked what the words mean.
“None of us disagree with you,” said Jones.
The council understood, he said, that the those living in south west Nephi wanted to live in an area where such language was not posted and where they did not have to look at it each day. They understood that the signs offended other residents’ sense of good taste and propriety.
Certain words are labeled in Random House Webster’s College Dictionary as vulgar, offensive, or disparaging. As the words are referred to, the definition includes that term.
The term vulgar language has many synonyms: swear words, bad language, coarse language, four-letter words, rude words, vulgarity, expletives, bad words, swear words, curse words, cuss words, dirty words, or collectively foul, bad or strong language, vulgarisms, or words inciting to violence.
The concerned citizens group think the signs fit the “vulgar” category.
“People traveling on trains along the railroad tracks see those signs and judge our community accordingly,” said Claudette Lunt. “The Stampede is coming and visitors will see those signs.”
However, her biggest concern was for the youth of the city. They should not have to see the profanities.
In addition, she said, most communities had some sort of law concerning public nuisances. Those not observing the law could be given notice to clean up or be fined. In some communities, the persons were given notice to clean up and if they failed to do so, the city did the cleaning at the expense of the property owner.
“We do have a nuisance law and we do attempt to enforce it,” said Jones.
What are the signs considered by the law? They are posted with often-scathing and vulgar messages about government officials and local residents.
Such profanities have historically been ways of conveying anger or contempt and that is the implicit message.
“There are signs on a building there that are offensive and they go all the way around the building,” said Ferre.
The area residents want the city council to do something that will put a stop to the signs. They indicted that they are sick of seeing them all the time.
Another point is that they feel the signs are degrading property values.
“The property is the last adobe pit of Nephi City,” said Joel Cowan. “So the property is an historical site.”
“We are in the process of putting our ducks in a row,” said Jones.
There is a delicate balance between freedom of speech and abuse of that freedom.
According to the Salt Lake City Attorney’s office: “The First Amendment’s guarantee of the right of free expression is a fundamental element of our democratic system of government. However, that right of free expression is not absolute. Some kinds of speech, such as obscenity, defamation, and fighting words, are not protected by the First Amendment.”
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