You know the drill: walk into a head shop, approach the pipe counter, and sure enough, the sign will be there. “Don’t Say the B Word,” or “These are Water Pipes,” or something to that effect, and usually there will be something proclaiming that using said words will result in your being kicked out of the store.
Now, last time I checked, there was free speech in this country. Unless you’re yelling fire in a theatre or talking about killing someone, I thought you could say whatever you damn well please.
Addittionally, who decided that the word “bong” is illegal or inappropriate? Are there police surveillance goons in an unmarked van listening in on these head shops waiting to bust in with guns a - blazin’ (pardon the expression) if someone calls the damn thing a “bong” instead of a water pipe?
How can it be illegal, for that matter, to stand around and talk about smoking marijuana out of the bongs in the store? Talking about doing something illegal isn’t the same as doing something illegal; unless lives are on the line, I always assumed, you can say whatever you want.
This isn’t a debate about the marijuana prohibition, although you can move it there if you feel it’d be better suited. I just want to know why I’m not allowed to say the “B word.”
You have a lot to learn about the first amendment. It only prevents the government from restricting political speech. As a private organization, a shop can kick you out for saying anything.
Granted, I haven’t been to very many head shops, but I’ve never been kicked out of the ones I’ve been in when I refered to a piece of glass as a chillum, bat, bong, etc. Usually they just say they don’t know what it means and point at the sign indicating what the item is. For instance a water pipe is a bong and a chillum is a cigar holder, etc.