Posted on 01/24/2005 7:58:58 AM PST by mathprof
The Supreme Court declined to consider Monday whether South Carolina's anti-abortion license plates are unconstitutional, a free-speech question that could have resulted in the elimination of similar programs in a dozen states.
Without comment, justices rejected a challenge to a lower court ruling that said the plates, which bear the slogan "Choose Life," violate the First Amendment because abortion rights supporters weren't given a similar forum to express their beliefs.
Under the program begun in 2001, South Carolina drivers may pay a $70 fee to purchase the anti-abortion plates, with the revenue going toward local crisis pregnancy programs. Specialty plates with abortion-rights slogans are not offered.
Planned Parenthood (news - web sites) of South Carolina, which filed the lawsuit, had argued the program amounts to "viewpoint discrimination" by state officials since they allow expression of only one side of the abortion debate.
South Carolina countered that the plates are "government speech" that entitles them to allow a particular viewpoint without an obligation to include dissenting views. Otherwise, the state would have to allow countering views to license plates touching on any public policy matter, such as "God Bless America."
They should offer an alternative plate of "Choose Murder" or "Choose Abortion"
I bet those would fly off the shelves!
So they are banned in SC?
So Planned Parenthood wanted a plate that said "Choose Death", or "Kill Your Baby"?
Stick to bumper stickers, cheaper and replaceable.
Yup. Something like: "I Support the Murder of Children Through Abortion" should be a real winner with them. Or, "I choose to Murder Innocent Unborn Children and Save Whales!" Any of these would do for them.
Why aren't people just satisfied with anti-abortion bumper stickers? You can put them all over your car, not just as a license plate.
Well, the Planned Parenthood eugenicists are perfectly free to petition the state to set up a whole series of pro-abortion plates, such as:
"Crack Babies - Better Dead than Born"
"Planned Parenthood - 'Exterminating the Negro Population' Since 1939"
"Planned Parenthood - Practical Eugenics"
"Abortion - Practical Solutions for a Cleaner Race"
This is a very confusing article, but then I noted the source. From what I gather the 4th Circuit says unconstitutional and the 5th Circuit says constitutional. And SCOTUS has refused ot clarify? I guess since the Court decided to leave us up in the air as to what the correct decision might be, the author chose to do the same.
I'm still pissed that my state, Nevada, quashed a move to create a specialty plate honoring the nuclear workers of the state. The plate had a beautiful picture of a glowing mushroom cloud. I had plans to get one of those as a vanity plate: KABOOM.
Nah, let 'em come up with blood-red plates that read "Right to Choose." I'll bet that will make their children feel special. Maybe someday they'll ask, "Mommy, did I have any brothers or sisters you didn't tell me about?"
In Louisiana, our entire specialty tag system is up in arms due to a ruling that the system was unconstitutional due to the fact that Choose Life tags are offered but a Choose Death alternative is not. Does anybody out there know the status of this State's court challenges?
The reason they are not satisfied because all marketplace losers turn to the gubbamint to protect their interests. Most Americans prefer a limited right of abortions (personally, I really don't care about the subject). So what do some pro-life people do? Do they go out and sell their position in the marketplace of ideas? No. They turn to the gubbamint and look for a damn subsidy. "Give us an official looking license plate - and divert the revenue thereby gained to our loser organization."
Hey guys, instead of license plate nonsense, why not buy a bumper sticker ($2), give $45 to your crisis pregnancy center, and take the remaing $23 you save to compete in the marketplace of ideas. Perhaps if your idea wins in the marketplace, you won't go whining to the gubbamint to subsidize your viewpoint.
Good decision... license plates should NOT be used as a political forum.
Why don't you have your state rep. put in a bill request for a "Babykiller and proud of it" license plate?
There are more important hills to die on than the right to have a pro-life license plate.
Right, the plates have been banned by the the rulers of our land.
So, if my state puts out a "Save The Planet" plate, I can demand a "Kill More Whales" plate. Cool.
There's a conflict between the Ninth and the Fifth on the meaning of the Second Amendment, and they didn't bother resolving that either.
I bet those would fly off the shelves!"
Heh!
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