Can Obscene Lyrics Be Banned from Parade Floats?

Though it is not a written law ... the city of St. Martinville has banned "rap music with vulgar lyrics" from it's Mardi Gras parade. This has upset the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana.

According to an article on WWL participants in the parade had agreed to some rules about the music on the floats. They agreed not to play rap music with vulgar lyrics. The LA-ACLU says singling out rap music could lead to racial profiling. St. Martinville Police Chief Calder Hebert is quoted in the article as saying "they aren't concerned about rap music specifically, just music that is inappropriate for families who attend the parade."

Though for now this is limited to the city of St. Martinville; it would certainly seem that this fight could spill over to all Mardi Gras parades including ours. The parade is this Sunday. If you attend ... let us know what type of music you hear.