No Fun

An example of you cant have fun in Wisconsin, However, it may save a child’s life. Excerpts taken from the JSonline article When snowballs are outlawed posted 8-Feb-2006.

South Milwaukee Police Chief Ann Wellens won't assign her officers to be on the lookout for snowball-lobbing scofflaws, but a city law that bans the activity could put a big chill on an offender's wallet if a $200 ticket is issued.

Throwing a snowball is equated with shooting an arrow or throwing a stone in municipal codes around the state.

She said many people aren't aware of the ordinance, which reads in South Milwaukee's code book:

"No person shall throw, shoot or propel any object, arrow, stone, snowball or other missile or projectile by hand or other means, at any person or at, in, or into any building, street, sidewalk, alley, highway, park, playground or any other public place."

South Milwaukee City Attorney Joe Murphy said he could recall only once in 22 years when the ordinance was enforced. That was a year or two ago when middle school kids threw a snowball "that had more ice than snow in it" and a girl was hit in the face. She suffered a minor cut, he said. The possible penalty for juvenile offenders is $55, he said.

Similar wording has been crafted in other area communities, including Cudahy, St. Francis, Glendale, Whitefish Bay, Cudahy, Town of Fredonia, Muskego, Village of Sussex, Brookfield, Cedarburg and Burlington. The City of Milwaukee does not have an ordinance to legislate snowballs, according to its Legislative Reference Bureau.

I have an addition to these and other “nanny” laws; have the parents buy the same gear that paintballer’s use or full body armor and have all the children wear the gear all year. That way kids would not get hurt from anything. Afterall, this is for the children.

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