SCOTUS to hear confederate plate case

[EVT1]

This should be interesting

news.yahoo.com/u-justices-hear-confederate-license-plate-free-speech-191226237.html

     The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to weigh in on whether Texas officials should have approved a specialty license plate that displays the Confederate flag.

     The case raises the issue of how states can allow or reject politically divisive messages on license plates without violating free speech rights.

     The legal issue is whether messages on state-issued license plates represent speech by the government or an endorsement of a private message. The latter constitutes “viewpoint discrimination” and is a violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of freedom of speech.

Go buy a freaking bumper sticker- I don't get how free speech enters into whether you can get specialty plate or not issued by the government.  There should not even be specialty plates because of this kind of thing. 

[billisonboard]

... a program that allows groups to suggest messages to be used on specially designed plates, ...

It would be interesting to see the full display of "suggests" accepted and rejected. Tough to really see discrimination or lack there of in a single incident.

[NastyWoman]

There should not even be specialty plates because of this kind of thing

but they bring so much money into the state coffers!  Do you want to interfere with states milking their residents for all they can get

[Tennesseer]

I want a 'Screw Y'all' license plate.  

[NoNamePerson]

Dec 5, 2014 16:10:52 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

I want a 'Screw Y'all' license plate.  

That's not what mine would say but I know it is not allowed.   

[EVT1]

Dec 5, 2014 16:00:23 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

... a program that allows groups to suggest messages to be used on specially designed plates, ...

It would be interesting to see the full display of "suggests" accepted and rejected. Tough to really see discrimination or lack there of in a single incident.

Here is what they have now:

txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plates/specialty-license-plates

Would like to see the rejects as well.

[billisonboard]

Dec 5, 2014 17:42:26 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

Dec 5, 2014 16:00:23 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

... a program that allows groups to suggest messages to be used on specially designed plates, ...

It would be interesting to see the full display of "suggests" accepted and rejected. Tough to really see discrimination or lack there of in a single incident.

Here is what they have now:

txdmv.gov/motorists/license-plates/specialty-license-plates

Would like to see the rejects as well.

Wow, quite the selection. I think the ban is toast. Too many similar organizations. But yes, other rejects would be helpful for final analysis.

Whoops, forgot, Thanks EVT

[Deleted]

I think that anytime there is a viewpoint on a license plate (or otherwise in/on a location that's "under governmental control"), ALL viewpoints (opposing, neutral, or even some odd tangent) about that issue should also be allowed. The Government is not, and should not be allowed to take sides.

[billisonboard]

Dec 5, 2014 18:32:16 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

I think that anytime there is a viewpoint on a license plate (or otherwise in/on a location that's "under governmental control"), ALL viewpoints (opposing, neutral, or even some odd tangent) about that issue should also be allowed. The Government is not, and should not be allowed to take sides.

DON'T BE A BLOOD DONOR
WASTE WATER
TREAD ON ME
DON'T FIGHT TERRORISM
GOD DAMN TEXAS
MAKE TEXAS UGLY

[EVT1]

Exactly- the KKK gets a plate, Church of Satan, etc. Because if they don't then we are right back where we started.

At least I didn't see the really offensive plates in the list- the elephants and the donkeys.

[Deleted]

Dec 5, 2014 18:39:17 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Dec 5, 2014 18:32:16 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

I think that anytime there is a viewpoint on a license plate (or otherwise in/on a location that's "under governmental control"), ALL viewpoints (opposing, neutral, or even some odd tangent) about that issue should also be allowed. The Government is not, and should not be allowed to take sides.

DON'T BE A BLOOD DONOR
WASTE WATER
TREAD ON ME
DON'T FIGHT TERRORISM
GOD DAMN TEXAS
MAKE TEXAS UGLY

Those are all valid points for SOME group.

> "DON'T BE A BLOOD DONOR" - Jehova's Witness don't believe in transfusions

> "WASTE WATER" - Treatment plant employees... job security

> "TREAD ON ME" - could work for a Submissives group

> "DON'T FIGHT TERRORISM" - Pacifists would probably like anything with "DON'T FIGHT" in it.

> "GOD DAMN TEXAS" - O.k. ... you got me on that one... but it doesn't have to be "DAMN" How about "TEXAS DOESN'T NEED GOD'S HELP" instead? Atheists and Agnostics would probably get behind that one.

> "MAKE TEXAS UGLY" - Welfare recipients should work for their checks... making it ugly gives them work to do making it beautiful again.

[djAdvocate]

Dec 5, 2014 18:50:21 GMT -5 @richardintn said:

> "DON'T FIGHT TERRORISM" - Pacifists would probably like anything with "DON'T FIGHT" in it.

The bitter semantic truth is that you can't win against these sort of words - unless, I suppose, you get them thrown out of the Oxford English Dictionary. That would show 'em. Admittedly, the Second World War was fought against fascism.

But that particular abstract noun was cunningly hiding behind the very real Nazi government. We simply had to defeat Germany to win. In President Bush's war, there is no such solution. Saying "We will destroy terrorism" is about as meaningful as saying: "We shall annihilate mockery."

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1364012/Why-grammar-is-the-first-casualty-of-war.html

[Tennesseer]

Dec 5, 2014 18:45:57 GMT -5 EVT1 said:

Exactly- the KKK gets a plate, Church of Satan, etc. Because if they don't then we are right back where we started.

At least I didn't see the really offensive plates in the list- the elephants and the donkeys.

There was a listed Texas plate design that said 'White'. I wonder how many Texans order that one thinking it maybe means something else.

[EVT1]

I don't understand why anyone would want a confederate flag in the first place. Are there Germans petitioning for Nazi plates because their grandfathers fought that war?

Maybe MS will issue them as soon as they pass that law making Dixie the state song, Christianity the state religion, and all that bullshit.

What I really don't understand is the desire to broadcast one's opinions on their car in the first place.  No one cares what you think random shithead in front of me in traffic.