OCEAN CITY, Md. -- On Monday night, Ocean City leaders are expected to vote on an ordinance banning inappropriate materials from being displayed outside. This proposed ordinance would apply to merchandise deemed profane, obscene, sexually explicit or vulgar.
If you've ever been on the Ocean City boardwalk, there's a good chance you've seen some questionable displays. It could be a hat with a cuss word on it or a shirt with an explicit image.
Many of the words or images on that merchandise wouldn't be appropriate for cable television, yet business owners display them for everyone, including children, to see.
"Over the past few years, we've gotten more and more complaints, primarily from the boardwalk, from people who are upset their children were seeing that type of material," said City Manager Terry McGean.
So, officials are eyeing a town-wide, family-friendly change. One that Kenneth Kirchoff believes will be for the better.
"Little kids should not be able to walk through and see anything sexually explicit," said Kirchoff. "There's no need for that, it's a family-oriented place, it's not a place for ill repute."
Bruce Krasner owns six t-shirt shops on the boardwalk. Over the phone on Monday, he told WBOC his shops have been guilty of displaying inappropriate material. Still, he, too, is on board with the town's proposal.
"I agree with what the mayor and city council is trying to do with restricting the use of foul language on display," said Krasner.
Krasner did question whether this ordinance would impede a store owner's First Amendment rights. Town officials don't believe it will.
"The stores are more than welcome to sell the material, but we don't believe they have the right to have profane material outside, available for minors to see without the parent's consent," said McGean.
A potential crackdown on obscene displays isn't drawing explicit pushback.