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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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Mexicans Kiss Off Smooching Ban

Town's effort to ban kissing sparks passionate national protests

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(Newser) – Outraged Mexicans joined forces—and lips—to kiss away a city's efforts to ban public smooching, the Los Angeles Times reports. Guanajuato's law drew national ridicule and protesters soon started kissing en masse in front of city hall. Newspaper columnists and politicians lined up to defend the kiss as a treasured national institution.

The city council, which said it had been trying to stamp out Olympian feats of fondling rather than plain old kissing, repealed the law within days and declared Guanajuato the "Capital of the Kiss" but it did little to cool the passionate national protests. Officials in Mexico City are hoping a Valentine's Day kiss-a-thon in the city's main plaza will make it into the record books.

Bartenders in Guanajito are working on a recipe for a margarita-type drink that would be called
Bartenders in Guanajito are working on a recipe for a margarita-type drink that would be called "the beso," Spanish for kiss.   (Shutterstock)
Mexico City is hoping to get into the record books with a kiss-a-thon today.
Mexico City is hoping to get into the record books with a kiss-a-thon today.   (©Macnolete)
A national outcry caused the Mexican town of Guanajuato to ditch a ban on public kissing.
A national outcry caused the Mexican town of Guanajuato to ditch a ban on public kissing.   (©Daquella manera)
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The attitude toward kissing is a good thermometer of the tolerance of a society.
- Reforma columnist Federico Heroles

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riffran
Feb 14, 09 5:38 AM CST
how appropriate for feb 14th....he he...I like it...The latin culture in general is very passionate to begin with.....that ban had no chance in hell of working.....and besides one way to make something more desirable is to forbid it......ahh but for just a kiss..a sweet rememberance gone in an instant yet remembered forevermore.....happy Valentines day everybody....give your loved ones a big ole smoochie.... Reply
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Mad
Feb 14, 09 12:11 PM CST
"I'll know all I need to know by the way that I get kissed" -- Aerosmith Reply
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