Confederate Flag License Plate in Texas -- Expression vs. Hate Speech

[leibowde84]

I'd like to hear your all's opinion on this SCOTUS case coming up soon. Honestly, I think I understand both sides of view, but it seems like separatists/conservatives/libertarians should just go ahead and create a new symbol for their cause, simply because using this one is not doing them any favors. What are your thoughts though?

 

[Revoltingest]

Ref....
Confederate battle flag at center of Supreme Court free speech case | Fox News

Thoughts....
- Tis no mere "symbol" for a cause. It's a real issue about the state letting some controversial messages be allowed on plates, but not others.
- Fed courts aren't of a single mind on the issue, so it falls to the USSC.
- The Confed flag represents different things to different people. To me, it looks like an Evel Knievel suit.
- I voted for protected free speech, albeit ill advised.

 

[leibowde84]

Ref....
Confederate battle flag at center of Supreme Court free speech case | Fox News

Thoughts....
- Tis no mere "symbol" for a cause. It's a real issue about the state letting some controversial messages be allowed on plates, but not others.
- Fed courts aren't of a single mind on the issue, so it falls to the USSC.
- The Confed flag represents different things to different people. To me, it looks like an Evel Knievel suit.
- I voted for protected free speech, albeit ill advised.

Fair enough. Thanks for your input.

 

[Revoltingest]

Fair enough. Thanks for your input.

That's it?
You could at least call me a name.

 

[jonathan180iq]

Ref....
Confederate battle flag at center of Supreme Court free speech case | Fox News

Thoughts....
- Tis no mere "symbol" for a cause. It's a real issue about the state letting some controversial messages be allowed on plates, but not others.
- Fed courts aren't of a single mind on the issue, so it falls to the USSC.
- The Confed flag represents different things to different people. To me, it looks like an Evel Knievel suit.
- I voted for protected free speech, albeit ill advised.

You could at least call me a name.

You and your ideas are revolting!

 

[metis]

Even though I don't like it, it still falls under the protection of the 1st Amendment.

 

[Revoltingest]

You and your ideas are revolting!

Good enuf!

 

[ShivaFan]

I do not know the background on this, I am surprised this is going to the SCOTUS, that strikes me odd. Is that true?

If this has to do with car Plates on autos, this is a State decision and not Federal nor in my opinion a Supreme Court question regarding constitution et all but only State court(s) since it is each State that determines the state license and plate release.

I think this is the same "issue" that came up (briefly) on a "right-wing" radio show discussed but sort of dismissed as pretty much a non-starter. The gist was, no the State cannot be FORCED to provide car plates (in this case in Texas per the show) with flags on it of a non-US nation such as the Confederacy. Now if the STATE ITSELF uses the old Confederate Flag in their STATE flag then the state flag is fine, but no one has a "constitutional right of free speech" to force a state to have a Confederate Flag on it, a car plate is not a constitutional right nor a free speech question. If citizens don't want these things, they can talk to their State reps and stop them, actually many of these custom plates were looking for trouble and "probably never should have been allowed in the first place, they started off as money making schemes by high tax states with environmental plates and then got out of control" as the host said.

Vets and purple heart medal soldiers should have a special veteran plates and in my opinion should be free for life. If some states want to allow illegal aliens to drive cars, which is a state decision, in my opinion these plates should be flagged with an "A" for alien. And child molesters should have their plates flagged with "X".

In California, I have a "personal plate" with the name of a Hindu God. But - I do not think I have a "constitutional right" to have this plate in the name "of free speech ". The plate does not belong to me, it belongs to the State of California and it is a privilege not a right. Maybe this should not have been started in the first place, but tax and spenders in government are always wanting to grab more money or sell something - the next thing you know they may REQUIRE a "personal plate".

I didn't like either choice since I do not like the idea of "hate speech" but since this plate is NOT a free speech issue I voted the second, not because it is "hate speech" but because it isn't a constitutional question nor a free speech question.

 

[leibowde84]

That's it?
You could at least call me a name.

haha. I think that is a reasonable argument, so no name-calling required.

 

[jonathan180iq]

"Heritage not hate" is a slogan that I see so often with these secessionist era hallmarks.

I've never known anyone who was solely focused on heritage to care.

I have family who were loosely associated with the Hitler Youth camps and that's a part of my past that I don't want to forget about.

Heritage not Hate

 

[Wirey]

The thing is, it is both a heritage and a hate thing, depending on where you stand. If the Washington Redskins have to eat crow, I believe Texas is going to as well.

 

[Revoltingest]

The thing is, it is both a heritage and a hate thing, depending on where you stand. If the Washington Redskins have to eat crow, I believe Texas is going to as well.

I wanted to find a Dudley Do-Right license plate, but there were none.
Instead, I found....

B****'n state slogan, btw.
Ours is...
Crush enemies...drive b4 me.....crying women

 

[Wirey]

I wish that was my plate!

 

[Nietzsche]

As a Southerner, this is something I deal with pretty regularly. As someone who knows quite a bit about the Civil War, there are two types of people in the modern age who use a rebel flag. The one you see most often, the Confederate Naval Jack, is 99% of the time used by racist scum not fit to lick the dirt off my boots. Then you have those who use the flags used by the Confederate Government, normally the Bonnie Blue Flag, the Stars & Bars, the Stainless Banner and finally the Bloodstained Banner. Those last four I can accept as being a genuine "heritage not hate" thing.

 

[HonestJoe]

I don't think the flag is, in itself, hate "speech" but I agree with the idea that it is (at least as much) the states "free speech" in distributing them and so they can impose restrictions on which images they allow as long as those rules aren't discriminatory themselves.

In general I find the idea of selling licence plates with corporate or political logos on in general is a bad idea, for this reason and others. Licence plates are ultimately legal and safety equipment so shouldn't be messed around with at all. It's not as if car owners aren't free to stick whatever badges, flags and labels elsewhere on their vehicle as they like (within reason).

As so often seems to be the case though, it's all about money isn't it.

 

[ShivaFan]

My God, there actually is a plate like that in Idaho??? The Nazi flag on a STATE OWNED PLATE? OR are you kidding (photoshop)?

No, the plate belongs to the State not personal property. A State can even say there will not be any plate at all if that is what the people of that State convince their STATE (not Congressional) representatives to do.

I don't like the idea of foreign flags be they Nazi, Confederate or ... for that matter ISIS flag on a car plate.

That's it - I say no more "theme or personal" plates at all. I will turn in my personal plate is we get rid of this nonsense. If we can have "personal plates" then why not let Advertizers SELL (e.g. pay the fee for the plate) of those who agree to advertise their product on the "personal plate" such as a Trojan Condom or Viagra logo, or perhaps Marlboro Cigarettes? I mean why not?

 

[jonathan180iq]

In general I find the idea of selling licence plates with corporate or political logos on in general is a bad idea, for this reason and others. Licence plates are ultimately legal and safety equipment so shouldn't be messed around with at all. It's not as if car owners aren't free to stick whatever badges, flags and labels elsewhere on their vehicle as they like (within reason).

 

[jonathan180iq]

My God, there actually is a plate like that in Idaho??? The Nazi flag on a STATE OWNED PLATE? OR are you kidding (photoshop)?

No man - That's not real.
I'm using it to highlight the absurdity of the argument for having plates like this at all.

 

[ShivaFan]

 

[GoodbyeDave]

From a European perspective, if the USA had the right to succeed from the British Empire, then the CSA had the right to succeed from the USA. If you take a CSA flag as a declaration of a belief in states' rights, that seems fair enough to me.

We had a row in Britain when you were only allowed the Union Flag or the EU one. Now you can have English, Scots, or Welsh flags. In Northern Ireland, you can only use the EU flag, to prevent unseemly arguments (or someone torching your car...)