License to Offend
I’m not a big Smoking Gun fan, but this section is educational: the Blue License Plate Special. It’s a collection of license plates that have been rejected as well as some complaint letters US departments of transportation have received complaining about certain plates.
I can fully understand restricting the Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television on license plates — but (for example) someone found Red Nek offensive (because they equate “Redneck” with “White Supremacist,” apparently).
(Frankly, I think Enforcement by Cop is a better idea. Instead of banning a plate that reads DYCOPDY, for example, they ought to print it up and let the driver take his chances in speed traps.)
This comes on the heels of another case of attempted free-speech suppression by the American Masses in a traffic column of all places: we believe you overstepped your bounds in your June 6 column when you advised readers to “change the makeup of the County Council” if they want the intercounty connector. You do not write a political column and you have no right telling people how to vote.
This was in response to Dr. Gridlock’s statement on voter education: If you want to get the ICC built, you will have to change the makeup of the Montgomery County Council, the majority of which opposes the ICC. Elections are this fall. Whether you’re in favor of the ICC or opposed to it, become informed about the candidates’ positions, and make your vote count.
What this all demonstrates is, no matter how petty the issue, you’ll always find someone somewhere who’s willing to abridge the freedom of speech or freedom of press just to satisfy their own silly biases (and without using too much logic, either). Which is why it needs so much protection.