NJ woman's rejected atheist license plate violates First Amendment

[ZLoth]

From nj.com:

NJ woman's rejected atheist license plate violates First Amendment, lawsuit argues

A Cumberland County woman argues that the state Motor Vehicle Commission's alleged denial of issuing an "8THEIST"  license plate violated her First Amendment rights, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday.

Shannon Morgan, of the Leesburg section in Maurice River Township, identifies herself as an atheist, according to the lawsuit, and attempted to personalize her license plate to read "8THEIST."

"There is nothing offensive about being atheist,"  Morgan said. "I should be able to express my sincerely held beliefs with a license plate just like everyone else."

FULL ARTICLE HERE

[Zeffy]

As an atheist, let me first off say this: I don't care what you practice. Just let me have my beliefs (or non beliefs in my case), and I'll let you have yours.

Next, I think it's BS that the state denied the 8THEIST plate. I can't tell you how many plates I've seen that have LUVGOD or something along those lines. This isn't the first time atheists have been discriminated against, and it won't be the last.

Also, the state MVC denied David Silverman's (president of American Atheists) ATHE1ST plate but then granted it a month later in a previous conflict just like this one. She should be allowed to have her plate.

[getemngo]

Although Grossman declined to comment on Morgan's request because it is a legal matter, she explained that atheist-themed license plates have been issued before.

"We have no objection and continue to issue plates with these types of configurations,"  Grossman said.

Hmm... maybe the MVC thinks "8THEIST" means she's advocating cannibalism? 



Oh wait, one of the people in the comments section is seriously arguing that. 

[Alps]

4NICK8

[Duke87]

Drama like this is why we need to just not have vanity plates. Seriously, license plates are a standard government-issue vehicle identifier, not a personal billboard. Leave the personal statements to bumper stickers.

[jeffandnicole]

Drama like this is why we need to just not have vanity plates. Seriously, license plates are a standard government-issue vehicle identifier, not a personal billboard. Leave the personal statements to bumper stickers.

I believe my forefathers fought many a war to give me my 1st amendment right to specifically express myself thru a vehicles' license plate.

[KEVIN_224]

I remember the old CNN Headline News once mentioned an Oregon man being denied of his request for a ZIG-HIL license plate.

[Alps]

Drama like this is why we need to just not have vanity plates. Seriously, license plates are a standard government-issue vehicle identifier, not a personal billboard. Leave the personal statements to bumper stickers.

I believe my forefathers fought many a war to give me my 1st amendment right to specifically express myself thru a vehicles' license plate.

They used to call people like that "horse's arses".

[SP Cook]

In a society where high school C+ students ex-athletes are given the power to randomly (or more importantly, not randomly) enforce a stupid "law" that 99.9% break regularly, why anyone would want to make a comment on any controvercial subject on their car is beyond me. 

You might just get a DWDWTC.  Driving while disagreeing with the cops.

[1995hoo]

I remember the old CNN Headline News once mentioned an Oregon man being denied of his request for a ZIG-HIL license plate.

I saw an article about a person who requested ZYKLONB. It was, thankfully, denied.

A weirder one was the lady who requested, and received, CUNTESS. It was later revoked after people complained. She claimed it meant "Countess" but the character limit meant she had to drop a letter. Sure.

There was some controversy in Virginia a few years ago over people who had sport team names or school names followed by "SUK." People complained that it was offensive and the DMV denied the protests, saying that the word "suck" has become common-place among younger people as a synonym for "stink" and it's not intended to offend. I'm not sure that's a good test to use. When I ride the Metrorail, I hear a lot of teenage kids (especially of certain racial groups) constantly using the word "fuck" as a standard part of their everyday speech. It's simply how they talk and they don't care if other people find it offensive. If your test is "common-place" and "not intended to offend," then sooner or later you'll need to allow "fuck" on license plates or else come up with a different rationale. (I guess a similar issue could arise as to the use of the word "nigga," since some people say it's fine for black people to use but not anyone else–should black people be allowed to have that word on a license plate?)

(All three of our cars have personalized plates, but they're pretty innocuous stuff.)

[Pete from Boston]

Drama like this is why we need to just not have vanity plates. Seriously, license plates are a standard government-issue vehicle identifier, not a personal billboard. Leave the personal statements to bumper stickers.

There'$ $urely a rea$on government$ endure all thi$ headache for $omething a$ $illy a$ vanity plate$, though I can't figure out what.

[jeffandnicole]

I had vanity plates in the past, but then I realized: If I did something to piss someone off, it's way easier to remember a vanity plate than a generic tag.

[US81]

I had vanity plates in the past, but then I realized: If I did something to piss someone off, it's way easier to remember a vanity plate than a generic tag.

Mostly that's true, but sometimes you can have fun with vanity plates with codons, Klingon-language words, or something else esoteric that would not be memorable except to a few nerds....

[signalman]

I had vanity plates in the past, but then I realized: If I did something to piss someone off, it's way easier to remember a vanity plate than a generic tag.

That's always been my arguement for not getting vanity plates.  Although, admittedly it is quite common in the plate collecting community.  I will often get teased a bit by other collectors for my standard run-of-the-mill passenger plates at plate meets.  I suppose I could get an optional graphic plate with a generic issued number, but I am frugal and can't justify the extra cost for them.

[signalman]

When I ride the Metrorail, I hear a lot of teenage kids (especially of certain racial groups) constantly using the word "fuck" as a standard part of their everyday speech. It's simply how they talk and they don't care if other people find it offensive. If your test is "common-place" and "not intended to offend," then sooner or later you'll need to allow "fuck" on license plates or else come up with a different rationale. (I guess a similar issue could arise as to the use of the word "nigga," since some people say it's fine for black people to use but not anyone else–should black people be allowed to have that word on a license plate?)

NJ does allow fuck...well, kinda...FUKLUZN.  I saw it last summer on some rice rocket.  It took me a minute to figure it out, then it finally hit me...ohh, fuck losing.  Like fuck losing street races.  That was allowed, however, a woman's religious beliefs (or lack thereof) was denied. 

[1995hoo]

This plate is not a personalized plate, but my friends and I couldn't stop laughing when I spotted it. Took this picture in April 2007 at the car park outside the Airbus facility in Bristol, England. Notice the Nissan to the right whose plate is highlighted. (The plate on the Porsche is a reference to a Concorde on display at the Brooklands Museum whose registration was G-BBDG.)

[nexus73]

I always thought BLZBUB would make a good plate!

Too much political correctness is going on these days and we get it from both the Left and the Right.  Strange to see how when I discuss politics in a road/transport context a mod gets his panties in a bit of a bunch but this thread goes on without such.  See what I mean about "political correctness"?  Just like everyplace else including the dillrods at the DMV, this site has some who hate freedom and wish to muzzle discussion.  Here's what I got to say about that: "¹^"º "¹(-¿-)"º "¹^"º

For the rest of you who are more free-spirited, keep on keepin' on!

Rick

[jeffandnicole]

One generic NJ issued plate I've seen on occasion: HOT 69X.  Especially on my commute home from work, I would see this plate once in a while, but haven't recently.

I go to Delaware frequently, and once on my ride back I happened to see this plate.

Just about a month or so ago, I was driving up the highway one evening. My wife made a comment as I passed a vehicle: "Did you see that license plate? It said HOT 69X."  I nearly stopped my car on the highway just so I could see her pass again (I didn't, nor did I slow down enough to see the driver again).

I'm sure I pass by the same people time and time again on my commute, but unless they have something special to take note, I would barely notice them.

[Mr. Matté]

http://imgur.com/fTVaf2q

[Duke87]

New York issues standard plates with the first letter increasing alphabetically. They're up to the Gs now, but the Fs were being issued for several years fairly recently. I have lost count of how many times I have seen a car with NY plates where the three letters are "FAP". Here is one example:


Guess the DMV isn't aware that means something naughty.


I also spotted this guy in Connecticut:


It fits the standard sequence of CT plates so I'm assuming this is not a vanity plate. Guess the CT DMV isn't up on internet slang, either.

[US71]

New York issues standard plates with the first letter increasing alphabetically. They're up to the Gs now, but the Fs were being issued for several years fairly recently. I have lost count of how many times I have seen a car with NY plates where the three letters are "FAP". Here is one example:


Guess the DMV isn't aware that means something naughty.

What's naughty about Federal Aid Primary?

[corco]

The best part about my car being stolen when I lived in Tucson was that I got new plates- the original ones I got down there were ANL4504. I hated having ANL on the back of my car.

[Jardine]

Ones I've encountered:

EFFOFF

6ULDV8

IUSEKY

STOLEN

[getemngo]

STOLEN

That might backfire one day. In the past, owners of such plates as NO PLATE, MISSING, NOTAG, and XXXXXXX have received tickets for other cars that, in fact, had no license plates. (Verified by Snopes for your convenience!)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

I seem to remember plates that said IDIOT a few years back.