| 
|
Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
| Total Views: 4,940,923
|
Article: 17836
[Civil]
Date Posted:
5/4/2007
11:39:06 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 7,176
RSS: 18,334
Comments: 27
|
State Looks To Pull Anti-Bush License Plate
Author: Kevin Woster Source: Rapid City Journal
Title: STATE LOOKS TO PULL ANTI-BUSH LICENSE PLATE
Heather Moriah loves the personalized license plates on her silver Prius encouraging the impeachment of President George W. Bush.
But somebody doesn’t agree. And that somebody complained to the state. Now, the South Dakota Division of Motor Vehicles is trying to recall the plates -- which read MPEACHW. And if Moriah doesn’t turn them in voluntarily, the state might send law-enforcement officers to pick them up.
Even so, she’s not immediately inclined to cooperate.
“I don’t think I’m going to play,” Moriah said Thursday afternoon. “The plate isn’t in poor taste. It‘s not sexual in nature or pornographic. To me, a political message should not be considered offensive.”
But Division of Motor Vehicles director Deb Hillmer said Thursday that the law clearly gives the state authority to recall the plates and have them forcibly removed if necessary. And although only one person complained about Moriah’s political statement, that’s all it takes to recall a set of vanity plates, Hillmer said.
| Options: [Read Full Story] [Comments Locked]
[Email to a Friend]
|
|
Community Thoughts: There are 27 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| WHY NOT.... | May 6th. at 7:08:14 am EDT
|
Whitewolf (Schenectady, New York) - Email Me
bring up the "in god we trust" plates as a violation of church and state? She would be crazy if she didn't. As others have said, this is PC at it's worst....
Love to all
|
| Oh Sure | May 5th. at 11:54:50 pm EDT
|
Ander s. Drake (hays, Kansas) - Email Me
but other states are giveing away free personized plates of in god we trust gee thats not a first amenment violation. is there any way of esacaping the christian right. do i have to move to a different planet for goddess sake
|
| Vanity Plates | May 5th. at 10:18:42 am EDT
|
Erihu (Sunset Beach, North Carolina) - Email Me
are a different thing from the In God We Trust or the Choose Life which is no many plates. People my choose to have them, but they are not the licese plate number, so it is a different issue. If you are going to complain, and I agree that there is something to complain about, please make sure you know what you are talking about.
|
| Your Tax Dollars At Work... | May 4th. at 10:36:11 pm EDT
|
Gypsy (Zanesville, Ohio) - Email Me
Holy Toledo...man the torpedoes they are after your rights again... Geez Louise...I almost don't know what to say to this one...
Wait a minute, yes I do...Your tax dollars are at work to repeal this plate if you live in SD...and if SD wins your tax dollars may be used to repeal this plate in your home state...
Heather, get out the bumper stickers and make sure one says that SD doesn't feel that your political opinion is allowable in a public forum...because one person supported our President...There are a bunch of folks out here who think that Bush should be impeached for any number of reasons...It's none of the governments business that I think Bush is an idiot...I won't vote for him...I didn't the first two times...
But, if this is how some folks want it...Just ban the issue of any new vanity plates, so that no one will be able to waste our tax dollars complaining and having them revoked due to any silly person being unreasonable offended...
Oh, and impeach any politician who lies, misuses their office, pushes for any violation of religious freedom or is guilty of speaking on subjects they know nothing about...Oh, and one that will avoid the draft in a poor economy, say it is strong and send young adults (to me kids) off to fight in a foreign country before they are old enough to legally drink...keeping underprivileged folks (read not rich) able to avoid military service in wartime... I am sure the list could go on...
|
| Tell Me Why... | May 4th. at 9:42:05 pm EDT
|
Winddragon (anderson, South Carolina) - Email Me
I bought that tag off ebay...
Sorry, seen the video too many times. Someone made a mistake pressing the plate? It was authorized or maybe it just didn't ring a bell until they were told what it meant. Freedom of speech and expression?
|
| Considering... | May 4th. at 9:06:06 pm EDT
|
bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
How much one pays for vanity plates, she should be able to request and get replacement plates for free. But this is the real world. The one who complained gets to say what's appropriate-and not only does she lose her plates, she gets to buy new ones not of her choice.
So much for free speech. One may be hounded over a bumper sticker, but at least they can't make you remove it.
|
| They Asked For This... | May 4th. at 8:47:05 pm EDT
|
Kate (Athens, Georgia) - Email Me
The states, in their never ending search for a way to fund ALL their politically inspired 'needs' came up with the idea of designer tags. They pull in a lot of money selling these things. They also opened the door to messages on car plates that might not suit everyone. I can see preventing the obscene and profane, but purely political thoughts, no. They started this; let them live with it. Just because one person was offended, does not make it right to recall the plate. The powers-that-be just opened the 'I can be as offended as you' jar. Could get dicey and also very humorous!
|
| The Fact Is.... | May 4th. at 7:33:01 pm EDT
|
Roy Linford Adams (Buxton, Maine) - Email Me
You do not own the plate, the state does. They are the ones who can say weather or not a plate can be used. It has little to do with "Majority rule". Lets face it, there hasn't been that in the U.S. for a decade now.
I remember this being an article about sensoring the plates here on Witchvox years ago.
|
| What Ever Happen To... | May 4th. at 7:00:41 pm EDT
|
Moonlight Willows (Hampden, Maine) - Email Me
Majority rules. Since when can one person get so much power. I thought many had to do something ...such as complain. This is truly ridiculous.
And of course free speach out the window.
If I had time and were her would get new plates making hers not valid anymore and keep them, since didn't it say somewhere in the article that they only belong to the state while still valid?
Good luck to her
Blessed Be
|
| That Plate Is Not Specific | May 4th. at 6:50:34 pm EDT
|
Shadowbear (Hillsboro, Oregon) - Email Me
She could say it meant impeach walter or webster - or washington for that matter - nowhere does it say Bush! Besides, she could replace it with a LARGE bumper sticker and nobody could say anything about that. The South Dakota motor vehicles folks obviously have nothing much to do if they can worry about this license plate.
|
| Offensive | May 4th. at 5:07:46 pm EDT
|
Cynthia (Miami, Florida) - Email Me - Web
So what if someone is offended? Offense is not a crime! It is not slander, libel, rape, or assault. So what you don't like someone else's political view.
I find those "Choose Life" Florida plates extremely offensive. Does Florida have the same nit-wit law? Can I call and get those plates recalled?
Who is the final arbitrator of what freedom of speech is? Why is one phone call from one person who is obviously of serious mental impairment enough to have another person harrassed and robbed by the government?
Are we forgetting that not only do we have the right of free speech but we have the right to the redress of grievences. A call for impeachment is a call for the redress of grievences.
Instead of trying to restrict the speech of those with whom one disagrees, why not engage in productive and useful political stances--recycling, teaching illiterate adults to read, forming coops.
|
| (Falls Over Laughing) | May 4th. at 3:47:29 pm EDT
|
Moonlight Wolf (Bradford, England) - Email Me
This is such a trivial matter. Heck very few people in Britain like Tony Blair and are glad he is standing down next week. (Although he actually has a LOT more substance and isn't just picking issues that are popular just to get the votes from gullible people- unlike Cameron) You get the website that shows 'Blair the Motivator', you get him being lampooned in the press every week, you have people with posters and slogans mocking him but does the state come and remove the offending slogans, cartoons and websites. No! It just leaves them be and laughs at them. Now the US is putting up a big fuss over license plates. What? I actually agree with the woman, get Bush out of the White House before he does any more damage to the country we were once so proud to call our greatest ally. (alongside Portugal)
|
| Shrubbery? | May 4th. at 3:46:41 pm EDT
|
Ahr-Ohn (Bridgeport, Connecticut) - Email Me
I fail to see how this plate can be offensive to a Shrubbery, when the obvious connotation is to the Mountains, Fruit and Water of Georgia. Still, one person has every right to be the first person to notice a connection, and this country does not limit that privilege to any one person.
"State law declares motor vehicle licenses plates to be the property of the state as long as the plates are valid. The law also allows personalized plates with as many as seven letters for an extra $25 fee. But it gives DMV officials the right to refuse to issue “any letter combination which carries connotations offensive to good taste and decency.”
Hillmer said MPEACHW meets that criterion. The plates never would have been issued if DMV officials had caught their meaning at the time Moriah applied, Hillmer said."
Plainly, these plates are the property of the State, which has no business criticizing PotUS in Public. As long as she retains custody of these plates, she is in Trespass.
She may wish to distribute pictures of the plates on the Internet, and may take those pictures against a backdrop of any official state building, on "her way to returning them." Cooperation is 9/10 of Revenge.
Arawn
|
| Hehe | May 4th. at 3:35:51 pm EDT
|
Ezri (Centennial, Colorado) - Email Me
“What this means is that every atheist can now wipe out anything that seems to refer to God,” Duffy said. “Will vanity plates for members of the armed forces suddenly be declared offensive if they offend a single pacifist? It’s absolutely preposterous.”
Darn skippy. That's EXACTLY what I'm going to start doing. If they're going to say that political ideals aren't appropriate for state plates (which, btw I agree with - get a bumper magnent, they work just as well and can be taken off when Bush does get impeached) , then let's start complaining about the religious ones.
|
| Well, | May 4th. at 2:26:11 pm EDT
|
Erihu (Sunset Beach, North Carolina) - Email Me
I think they are wrong to do this, but regulations do state that they can. I just looked up the rules. It's a shame that they would do this because of just one complaint. I doubt anything would have been done if someone had complained about a conservative sentiment on a plate. Of course they'll have to now that they've made such an issue of the one set of plates. Hopefully many people in SD will call and complain about the plates that they rue what they are doing to this one person.
I also looked up the rules for NC, and it only says that they can refuse to issue a plate, nothing about recalling it afterward. So, if they accidently let one by, apparently they cannot tell you to turn it back in. That's good.
|
Disclaimer: The Witches' Voice inc does not verify the accuracy of the details stated in this listing, nor do we vouch for the value of the goods or services presented here... As with all contacts and financial dealings in cyberspace, we encourage you to use caution and wisdom in your dealings with strangers.
Political Statements: Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren's Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches' Voice, Inc. TWV is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization.
|
State/Country flags created by 3dflags.com and are used with permission
Web Site Content (including: text - graphics - html - look & feel)
Copyright 1997-2009 The Witches' Voice Inc. All rights reserved
Note: Authors & Artists retain the copyright for their work(s) on this website.
Unauthorized reproduction without prior permission is a violation of copyright laws.
Website structure, evolution and php coding by Fritz Jung on a Macintosh G5.
Any and all personal political opinions expressed in the public listing sections (including, but not restricted to, personals, events, groups, shops, Wren’s Nest, etc.) are solely those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinion of The Witches’ Voice, Inc. TWV is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization.
Sponsorship: Visit the Witches' Voice Sponsor Page for info on how you
can help support this Community Resource. Donations ARE Tax Deductible.
The Witches' Voice carries a 501(c)(3) certificate and a Federal Tax ID.
Mail Us: The Witches' Voice Inc., P.O. Box 341018, Tampa, Florida 33694-1018 U.S.A.
| |
