Mississippi’s not the only state in the news when it comes the the efforts of the Sons of Confederate Veterans to have a state issue a vanity plate supporting the organization. Moreover, in Florida the story’s a little different, as Republicans and Tea Party supporters are at odds. The SCV seems to have the upper hand at the moment: could this be because Nathan Bedford Forrest never fought in Florida?
5 thoughts on “Another License Plate Dispute”
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The problem is in allowing these vanity license plates, both individual and group plates, in the first place. Police hate them because the designs often make identifying the issuing state and/or the license plate number (PA has a couple that are so muddy looking that they’re almost impossible to read unless you are right behind the car.). In addition, once you allow anything beyond a standard, state-issued license plate, if you try to deny applications based on the message and/or the sponsoring organization for anything but flat-out obscenity (even that’s difficult to define), you’re into content-based restrictions. Those are the toughest to defend against First Amendment attack.
I say let the SCV’s fight for these plates, it keeps them from messing up the historical record as they are renowned for doing.
I used to say that about the headstone program. [Bangs head on desk.]
Ah, yes, your piece on this was fantastic Andy.
Wasn’t trolling for a compliment. Just that even the seemingly non-controversial stuff they do — headstones shouldn’t be complicated — gets hijacked by the preferred dogma.