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Orwellingly Yurz
SFN Regular

USA
529 Posts

Posted - 05/05/2007 :  22:05:16  Show Profile Send Orwellingly Yurz a Private Message  Reply with Quote
YO: Get a load of this story.

Link

OY Sez: This should cause a kind of ruckus up South Dakota way. I don't have a personalized anti-Bush plate, but I do have three bumper stickers on my car: Save California-RECALL BUSH (It's an old one.), Stop This Endless War and, my favorite, IMPEACHMENT IS PATRIOTIC. I also have an American Flag in the back window to remind dorksticks that I, too, am American, but disenchanted with
our alleged leader.

OY!

Edited link.

Kil

"The modern conservative...is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy. That is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
--John Kenneth Galbraith

If dogs run free
Then what must be,
Must be...
And that is all
--Bob Dylan

The neo-cons have gotten welfare for themselves down to a fine art.
--me

"The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
--J. Paul Getty

"The great thing about Art isn't what it give us, but what we become through it."
--Oscar Wilde

"We have Art in order not to die of life."
--Albert Camus

"I cling like a miser to the freedom I lose when surrounded by an abundance of things."
--Albert Camus

"Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."
--Oscar Wilde

Dude
SFN Die Hard

USA
6891 Posts

Posted - 05/05/2007 :  23:35:47   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Dude a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hrmm.... there are some compelling arguments from both sides on this.

Ultimately I think the state will get their way.



Personally I do not have vanity plates because I don't want to give the state any more money that I absolutely have to give them. I'd just go with some stickers, or maybe a new paint-job.



Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson

"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin

Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  10:52:29   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
They're defiantly going to recall the plate, and rightfully so. It implies that the state is in support of impeachment, and even though it should be, there is no need for a private citizen to be advertising it with what is essentially state property. A pity, though.

As stated, bumper-stickers are cheap, plentiful and imaginative.




"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

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Cuneiformist
The Imperfectionist

USA
4955 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  11:10:35   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Cuneiformist a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by filthy

They're defiantly going to recall the plate, and rightfully so. It implies that the state is in support of impeachment, and even though it should be, there is no need for a private citizen to be advertising it with what is essentially state property. A pity, though.

As stated, bumper-stickers are cheap, plentiful and imaginative.


But if my plates said "2COOL4U" would that mean that South Dakota somehow supports my argument that I am, in fact, too cool for the reader of my vanity plate? Would that, too, be offensive?
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H. Humbert
SFN Die Hard

USA
4574 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  11:53:52   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send H. Humbert a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by filthy
It implies that the state is in support of impeachment...

But in Indiana, a person can get "In God We Trust" on their license plates at no additional cost.
quote:
ACLU attorney Ken Falk says that waiver of the fee amounts to promotion of the religious-themed plate by the state. However Rep. Woody Burton who sponsored the legislation creating the plate says that no added fee is charged because these plates are stock items that do not generate financial support for any particular group.

Unfortunately, it's unclear where a court would rule these plates amount to state endorment of religion, as the phrase is our National motto.


"A man is his own easiest dupe, for what he wishes to be true he generally believes to be true." --Demosthenes

"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool." --Richard P. Feynman

"Face facts with dignity." --found inside a fortune cookie
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beskeptigal
SFN Die Hard

USA
3834 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  14:59:30   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send beskeptigal a Private Message  Reply with Quote
They do have an existing rule about vanity plates which I believe does cover stuff like this. So it's no big surprise.

Sidenote: I have a lighted American flag in my window that is up side down. My older neighbors across the street argued whether it was an accident or on purpose so the gentleman came over and asked me if I had noticed. I got a chuckle out of that. And I think my son is a little embarrassed. He'll get over it.

It remains in the window.



Edited by - beskeptigal on 05/06/2007 15:03:16
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  15:33:06   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Cuneiformist

quote:
Originally posted by filthy

They're defiantly going to recall the plate, and rightfully so. It implies that the state is in support of impeachment, and even though it should be, there is no need for a private citizen to be advertising it with what is essentially state property. A pity, though.

As stated, bumper-stickers are cheap, plentiful and imaginative.


But if my plates said "2COOL4U" would that mean that South Dakota somehow supports my argument that I am, in fact, too cool for the reader of my vanity plate? Would that, too, be offensive?

But "2COOL4U" is not a biased, political statement, is it?

A retired Hell's Angel of my aquantence has an M/C plate that reads: "HATE U." Mildly offensive, perhaps, but not at all political.

I'd say the same for a plate naming either political party. A pity likewise can't be done to religious references.
quote:
But in Indiana, a person can get "In God We Trust" on their license plates at no additional cost.

I read about that. The motto is one of a couple chosen by the state as a decoration, and is not the registration # of the vehicle. And while I firmly agree with the ACLU, I don't find it terribly objectional on a personal level.

Do you remember the old NH plates that said "LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT" that caused a minor shit-storm back in, I think, the late '70s or early '80s? It was fun writing letters to the editor of the Union Leader about it.




"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie

USA
4826 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  18:57:20   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Valiant Dancer's Homepage Send Valiant Dancer a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by filthy

quote:
Originally posted by Cuneiformist

quote:
Originally posted by filthy

They're defiantly going to recall the plate, and rightfully so. It implies that the state is in support of impeachment, and even though it should be, there is no need for a private citizen to be advertising it with what is essentially state property. A pity, though.

As stated, bumper-stickers are cheap, plentiful and imaginative.


But if my plates said "2COOL4U" would that mean that South Dakota somehow supports my argument that I am, in fact, too cool for the reader of my vanity plate? Would that, too, be offensive?

But "2COOL4U" is not a biased, political statement, is it?

A retired Hell's Angel of my aquantence has an M/C plate that reads: "HATE U." Mildly offensive, perhaps, but not at all political.

I'd say the same for a plate naming either political party. A pity likewise can't be done to religious references.
quote:
But in Indiana, a person can get "In God We Trust" on their license plates at no additional cost.

I read about that. The motto is one of a couple chosen by the state as a decoration, and is not the registration # of the vehicle. And while I firmly agree with the ACLU, I don't find it terribly objectional on a personal level.

Do you remember the old NH plates that said "LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT" that caused a minor shit-storm back in, I think, the late '70s or early '80s? It was fun writing letters to the editor of the Union Leader about it.







Illinois has a comprehensive list of number and letter combos that they disallow.

It isn't perfect. But they have seen a lot.

In the late 80's, somebody actually got 3M TA3 as a vanity licence plate. Didn't even pay extra because it had numbers. Lasted until the offensive word patrol got a complaint about it. Took about 30 seconds for it to be revolked and new plates sent out.

Wonder why? Read it in a mirror.

:)

Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils

Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion
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Dave W.
Info Junkie

USA
26020 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  19:20:07   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Visit Dave W.'s Homepage Send Dave W. a Private Message  Reply with Quote
One of my buddies tried to get "TIH5 HO" past Virginia's censors 20 years ago. Didn't work, but don't forget that "ho" wasn't common parlance back then.

- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too.
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Dude
SFN Die Hard

USA
6891 Posts

Posted - 05/06/2007 :  21:57:10   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Dude a Private Message  Reply with Quote
beskeptigal said:
quote:
Sidenote: I have a lighted American flag in my window that is up side down.



I know you are ignoring me, so you will not read this and continue on...

But:

A flag displayed upsidedown is a symbol for distress. As in, you are in distress if you fly one upsidedown.

Scroll down to Sec. 8, line A.


I understand the desire to protest, but personally I think it is a mistake to use a distress signal as a form of protest.


Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson

"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin

Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth
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filthy
SFN Die Hard

USA
14408 Posts

Posted - 05/07/2007 :  02:53:12   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send filthy a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
In the late 80's, somebody actually got 3M TA3 as a vanity licence plate. Didn't even pay extra because it had numbers. Lasted until the offensive word patrol got a complaint about it. Took about 30 seconds for it to be revolked and new plates sent out.

Wonder why? Read it in a mirror.



Don'tcha just love the imagination shown with some of these things? And the persons who spot them and bitch are not brain-dead, either.

There are a couple of up-side-down flags on lawn poles around my county. This is mildly remarkable in that I live in rural North Carolina.

I haven't stuck a postage stamp on right-side-up since the "Decider" slimed his way into office. Not much of a protest, I know, but it's a little something, and, at the start of this maladministration, people were arrested for just that.




"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)

"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres


"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude

Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,

and Crypto-Communist!

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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend

Sweden
9687 Posts

Posted - 05/07/2007 :  04:55:40   [Permalink]  Show Profile  Send Dr. Mabuse an ICQ Message Send Dr. Mabuse a Private Message  Reply with Quote
From the article:
quote:
“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.”

Time to get busy, guys...

Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3

"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse

Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder.
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Orwellingly Yurz
SFN Regular

USA
529 Posts

Posted - 05/07/2007 :  10:35:39   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Orwellingly Yurz a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Beskeptigal wrote:

"Sidenote: I have a lighted American flag in my window that is up side down."

Orwellingly Yurz Sez: After Bush invaded Iraq, I put an American flag up side down on the back window of my car. I went into a coffee shop for breakfast about that time, and the guy who was waiting tables hasseled me about it. He was an ex-Marine and had seen the upside down flag as I got out of my car. He said, "That means we're in distress." And I said, "Well, yes, you right. We ARE in distress."

I also displayed the flag like that at times during the Viet Nam War, although I'm super supportive of Nam Vets, whether they were for that war or not. I figure if you're risking you life for your country, whether it's been a good decision in Washington, D.C. or not, the vet gets my benefit of any doubt. Period. So I wasn't too upset with getting some static from that ex-Marine.

OY!

"The modern conservative...is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy. That is the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness."
--John Kenneth Galbraith

If dogs run free
Then what must be,
Must be...
And that is all
--Bob Dylan

The neo-cons have gotten welfare for themselves down to a fine art.
--me

"The meek shall inherit the earth, but not the mineral rights."
--J. Paul Getty

"The great thing about Art isn't what it give us, but what we become through it."
--Oscar Wilde

"We have Art in order not to die of life."
--Albert Camus

"I cling like a miser to the freedom I lose when surrounded by an abundance of things."
--Albert Camus

"Experience is the name so many people give to their mistakes."
--Oscar Wilde
Edited by - Orwellingly Yurz on 05/07/2007 10:36:57
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HalfMooner
Dingaling

Philippines
15831 Posts

Posted - 05/07/2007 :  15:09:04   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send HalfMooner a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Some random opinion from me:

I don't think political statements like MPEACHW should be reasonably be considered offensive by anyone, except in a political sense. And as a political statements, they ought to be allowed, if not under the protection of the First Amendment, at least in its spirit.

Upside-down flags displayed on private property should also be allowed for the same reason, and are, as far as I know. I don't buy Dude's argument that as a distress signal, they should not be used (I hasten to mention that Dude didn't say "banned"). After all, when was the last time anyone ever heard of using an inverted Old Glory to call for help? In reality, this is more a theoretical use than a real one. ("Daddy's having a heart attack -- quick, hang an upside-down flag in the window!") When I see an upside-down flag, I assume it is either that way in error, or that it's a political statement.

But, as a political statement, I think it's an ill-considered one. It tends to give a perceived message that whoever has displayed it is against the flag, the country and patriotism, even though that is not normally the intended message. (As an atheist who strongly dislikes Christianity, I do not display an inverted cross, because I would be perceived as a worshipper of Satan.)

When I fly a flag, it's in a normal orientation, as a symbol of my respect for the governing secular principles of our Founding Fathers, and in determination to take back control of this nation by the people. I don't surrender my flag use to the idiots who misuse it for repression, and to overturn the Constitution, nor do I wish for people to mistakenly think that I hate flag and/or country.


Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive.
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GeeMack
SFN Regular

USA
1093 Posts

Posted - 05/07/2007 :  15:11:37   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send GeeMack a Private Message  Reply with Quote
In Illinois we have a couple types of vanity plates. One kind, which doesn't cost extra (or didn't for a long time anyway, I think they've recently changed it), requires you to have at least one digit. You can have as many as 6 letters followed by up to 2 digits for automobile plates, and for small commercial vehicles including pickup trucks, 1 or 2 digits followed by up to 6 letters. Something like that.

I look at the personalized plates a lot because often they are rather humorous and creative. Sometimes it's an interesting challenge to figure out what they mean. My own plate references the device name for the first hard drive, usually the boot drive, on a Linux computer, DEVHDA 1. I got that mostly just so I could remember it.

Just today I saw a somewhat politically oriented plate on a small truck, 2 HI TXS. But my all time favorite I saw several years ago, not really political, well maybe it was a gay activist, and it obviously slipped past the state's plate censors, was MPH DVR 2.
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Dude
SFN Die Hard

USA
6891 Posts

Posted - 05/07/2007 :  15:29:58   [Permalink]  Show Profile Send Dude a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Half said:
quote:
I don't buy Dude's argument that as a distress signal, they should not be used (I hasten to mention that Dude didn't say "banned"). After all, when was the last time anyone ever heard of using an inverted Old Glory to call for help?


Well, when your boat is sinking and some coast guard ship sees your upside down flag and chalks it up to you just being a protester...

I'm all for people protesting in creative ways, just not using a signal that already has an established definition, particularly a distress signal.

And no, I'd never suggest that any form of peacefull protest be banned. Ever.

Just using some common sense would be a good idea though.


Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson

"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin

Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth
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