Posted on 05/16/2005 6:12:14 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
'I Will Defend To Keep It Based On Free Speech'
TACOMA - A Tacoma woman says she feels violated by a complaint about her vanity plate. It simply reads: "John 3-16"
But someone found the Bible verse offensive and now the state is deciding whether she can keep the plate.
"The verse in the Bible says 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,' " says Jane Milhans.
To her, John 3:16 is a message of love, and a great vanity plate. But now, someone has told the state Jane's plate is offensive.
"My first reaction was I was in shock," she said.
Jane says she's had the plate for 21 years without a single complaint.
"It's not profane, it's not bigotry, it's not hatred, it's not evil," she says.
But Brad Benfield with the State Department of Licensing said, "It appears from the complaint that somebody was not happy that a state issued license plate had a religious component."
A Pierce County woman made the complaint, which reads in part: "I was offended that I have to be 'prayed over' by a license plate... What happened to keeping church and state separate?"
We tracked down the woman who lodged the complaint, and she declined an on-camera interview. She says frankly, she's dismayed the state didn't keep her complaint anonymous.
"A lot of people view this as a waste tax dollars to go through this process," Milhans said.
Now Jane says she'll have to defend her plate in front of a review committee, who will decide if she can keep it.
Benfield admits just one complaint can trigger a review.
"We're always interested in finding out if one slipped through the cracks," he said.
They caught one last year. "GOT MILF" was thought to be a play on the milk commercials. It turned out to be a sexual reference to good looking moms.
The state cancelled the plate.
But Jane Milhans vows they won't cancel hers.
"I will defend to keep it based on free speech," she said.
She says she'll fight to spread her message of love.
Last year, the state handled complaints about 16 vanity plates. They canceled four of them.
We should find out next month if Jane can keep hers.
If it is taken try F-DEMS. To them it says the same thing -- It challenges their only article of faith, that the state is God.
The complainer doesn't know what the First Amendment actually says, just what her liberal friends say.
"The complainer can go pound salt." Sharky 5-16
Identify the complainant.
In America, we have the right to face our accusers.
Make his or her name public.
"Identify this weasel. Publish his name. Harass him wherever he goes." -- Lazamataz 3:19
A few years back, a kid was given a graduation present by his father.
It was a car with a vanity plate that read 4JIHAD.
It was a news story until the press learned the kid's name was Jihad. Reported to be an honorable first name among the Islamic community in California. IIRC
This woman is just a b-tch. Likes to control others. I hate creatures like these....
I'm wondering just how long it will be before someone complains about my new 9/11 memorial plate.
Unfortunately, I am sure it will happen.
Although it is milder than I wanted. KLMALL was taken...
That's what bothers me most about this tawdry little episode. Should not the "accused" (Ms. Milhans) have the right of knowing who her accuser is?
I think the TV station should provide the name of the accuser. Let's see if she has any habits which are "offensive."
Anyone who files complaint on another citizen should be required to do so openly and publicly. Anonymous complaints should be ignored.
Well said, as we slowly move step by step into a police state. Or I should say, a godless police state.
Apparently that little clause about "...prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." is out of style these days.
Chortle!!! Nice shot!
Tell the offended bitch not to look at the license plate.
69 and LXIX are issued plates. VI-IX is barred by statute.
44DD is an issued plate. 34DD is barred by statute.
QQQQ2 is an issued plate. 3MTA3 is barred by statute.
Blithering idiots -- these are but a few of hundreds of such examples in this state.
Unless you are a Christian who doesn't actually believe the Bible. Then you're okay. Well, you have to not believe the Bible in enough areas. You must denounce Genesis, Leviticus, Romans, oh, all of the Epistles really, and anything anywhere they says you should "repent."
The obvious hole in what I just said is that John 3:16 didn't make my lest. So I guess we must expand the list. Hmmm...maybe we should think of this differently. You CAN say "judge not lest ye be judges" and you can demand that Christians (only) "turn the other cheek." You can say that God loves EVERYONE and that we should love sinners but accuse those who have moral values of hypocrisy. I think that about covers what you CAN say. Everything else is banned.
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