Someone tell me there is the counterpoint to this...

"505Turbeaux" (505turbeaux) 07/02/2014 at 09:58 • Filed to: None

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I was unaware that this was a thing in Mass. I am really hoping there is a pro choice plate. Not because of my personal convictions on the matter, but because what is in effect government property should not be used to promote a religious or moral agenda. That is all. Not looking for a fight, just saying.

Crocket Bernet > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:00

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If there is anyone who can be swayed so easily by a license plate I sincerely hope they fall in a shallow well and drown.

Diesel > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:03

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RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:03

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Like with any personal plate variation, it reflects a fee paid to this or that organization plus fee paid to the government to print a custom variation. No money out of pocket by the gov, no more than a Ducks Unlimited plate. I'm not aware of anything stopping, say, NARAL from offering a plate in the same manner, but that side has been much more interested in blocking these plates than offering their own, IIRC.

Insofar as all organizations are at some level political, splitting hairs for what is and what isn't is not productive.

cazzyodo > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:03

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I've noted this a couple times but never really processed it.

The only time I pay attention to a plate is if it spells something. I came across a NH one with "REDDIT" as their plate. That warrants more attention than this one.

KnowsAboutCars > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:03

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As an European all these different plate options you have in the States seem silly to me.

Two Drink Minimum > Crocket Bernet 07/02/2014 at 10:05

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That's, uh, pretty surprising for Massachusetts. I fight back with my Flying Spaghetti Monster emblem.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:05

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I can't say I know, but one would only hope there is. If not, I should petition the state for a Pro Arson plate. Why not, since they've opened the door anything should be possible.

505Turbeaux > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 07/02/2014 at 10:06

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lol I'll sign up for that one too. Woooooooooo FIRE!

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Diesel 07/02/2014 at 10:11

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That's pretty fucked up, but I at least have a sense of humor about things out of my control.

Textured Soy Protein > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:18

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According to the Wikipedia machine , there is a non-profit organization Choose Life, Inc. that's behind these plates.

Most states allow organizations like his (but usually with less political messages) to get special plates. So Choose Life, Inc. just goes through that normal application process and typically gets approved. Sometimes it doesn't.

In many states, bible-thumpy politicians get involved and pass bills specifically allowing Choose Life plates. They will preemptively do this so as to avoid any possible administrative rejection of the Chose Life plates.

The main legal grounds on which people who dislike the Choose Life plates can challenge them, is to challenge the legality of the so-called Choose Life Bill if their particular state has one. Because a bill specifically authorizing a particular viewpoint on a license plate, without offering the option for the opposite viewpoint, is discrimination.

The Choose Life people basically say, "well the pro choice people can go get their license plates too, if they go through the usual application process like us." But that doesn't really address the issue of politicians passing laws specifically to authorize the Choose Life plates.

There are various court cases slowly working their way through the legal system, but none is particularly close to the Supreme Court just yet.

In the meantime, bible thumpers in 28 states and DC are free to get bible thumpy on their license plates.

Which means I'm also free to call them assholes.

jariten1781 > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:19

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In VA they have both. It took years after the 'choose life' one came out for the 'respect choice' one to because NARAL couldn't get the 300 pre-sales they needed to have the state add them to the list of options. Eventually they did, but I've never actually seen one... plenty of 'choose life' out there though.

505Turbeaux > Textured Soy Protein 07/02/2014 at 10:20

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me too. Free country and all, supposedly

Textured Soy Protein > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/02/2014 at 10:21

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Except, in many states, bible thumpy politicians get together with Choose Life, Inc. to pass Choose Life Bills that specifically authorize the Choose Life plates in order to prevent them from getting rejected by any sort of administrative process.

Which is a load of bible thumpy shit.

EL_ULY > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:32

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BoulderZ > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 10:51

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Legally, SCOTUS hasn't settled it, and there are at least two conflicting district court verdicts on how permissible it is. It would have been nice if no one had opened that particular Pandora's Box, as there really wasn't any need to do so. Just issue plates saying "Car X from State A" and be done with it. I've never understood the appeal of all the special cause plates, or vanity plates for that matter. Plates are for identifying the car. All the special graphics and the rest of it make them less functional for their main purpose.

If I want to donate to a cause, I can do that without routing it through the DMV via legislative authorization (and the overhead, however small, that incurs). It's probably even faster to do it myself, as every fundraising group makes it as easy as possible to give them money with quick online transactions. If I want to "send a message" or "raise awareness" (a meaningless phrase if ever there was), bumper stickers do that as well or better.

However, here's the bottom line: no one on the road cares what causes/messages the driver ahead of them likes. No one has ever said, "I was totally in favor of filling in wetlands until I saw a Ducks Unlimited plate on the car stopped in front of me on my crappy commute. Now I'm all about waterfowl!" or "I was all for candidate A until I saw a bumper sticker for candidate B. Go B!"

Beyond trying to negotiate traffic as civilly as possible and not running in to people/things, there is no interaction or interest between road users. It's benign disinterest at best. No one is going to be swayed in their position by a plate or a sticker. Additionally, there's a big downside in that if someone sees a perceived slight by a car and happens to disagree with their philosophy as displayed on their sleeve bumper, it provides more fuel to the fire for escalation, at least for the crazy sort of people who are exactly prone to that.

One upside: I do get a benefit of others' interest in specialty plates, vanity plates, and stickers. I use them as warning signs and try to stay away from them, as it's a hint of possible dumb/crazy/other going on, and I don't need to borrow trouble.

Jeff-God-of-Biscuits > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 11:07

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Welcome to America. Please check your offended sensibilities at the door. And I say that rather snidely, but I actually mean it. This is a land of Freedom. It was built on Freedom. I think that one of the things that is dragging this once great (hopefully great again soon) Nation down is the fact that everyone wants to have their own freedoms and flaunt them in everyone else's face, but they are not willing to let anyone with a viewpoint contrary to their own do the same. With the dawn of "PC" came the fall of Freedom. There are even instances of the American flag being classified as "offensive" to others and being forbidden! I just don't understand how anyone can justify it. Freedom means everyone is free to do or say what ever they believe, just as you have the right to not listen. Now, I do understand that people can take it too far, and that there will always be assholes who try to abuse the system. There will always be hate groups, (Westboro Baptist, White/Black Power, al quada, All Muslims must hang, etc... Fuck those mother fuckers. Fuck'em right in the fucking ass with a fuck bus bus exhaust. Slap a train whistle on it and let'em whistle dixie everytime they stand up for the rest of their miserable fucking lives.) but rather than take down the system, I would rather have the assholes taken down a notch or two. Yes, that plate is State property, but the special interest group that designed it paid extra, just as nearly any other group can do the same. As long as one group can do something, every other group can do the same thing.

Anyway, rant over.... Have CR, because they're cool, and if you don't think so than you can just go... just kidding.

NaturallyAspirated > 505Turbeaux 07/02/2014 at 13:08

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I find the "Try God." sticker to be even more confusing. Try God for what? How will I know if it worked or not?