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I Will Defend To Keep It Based On Free Speech (Vanity Plate)
KOMO TV ^ | May 13, 2005 | Liz Rocca

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.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: antitheist; freespeech
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
But now, someone has told the state Jane's plate is offensive.

The state needs to tell 'someone'..."No it isn't".

A lot of states and school administrators need to start saying this when they are confronted by an individual who claims that something is 'offensive'. This crap is getting out of hand.

41 posted on 05/16/2005 8:43:46 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (This tagline will be destoyed to make way for a new Hyperspace bypass.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Money being wasted by the gov't - it could have been used to feed the homeless! If it saves only one child, it would have been worth it.

/sarc


42 posted on 05/16/2005 8:46:20 AM PDT by P.O.E.
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
She says frankly, she's dismayed the state didn't keep her complaint anonymous.

Amendment VI of the US Constitution reads:

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

Being able to confront those who make complaints against you is a fundamental part of our judicial system and an important one. Once you allow anonymous complaints to be the basis of government action against citizens, you open the door for all sorts of abuses.

43 posted on 05/16/2005 9:53:43 AM PDT by Question_Assumptions
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
There is no gray area in the Christian Faith only Black and White only God and Evil the world hates that.

I pray she wins that fight and does not lose her witness.

RB<><
44 posted on 05/16/2005 9:56:19 AM PDT by Rightly Biased (Salvation is not a prayer and an experience its a life changing event <><)
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To: Paul_Denton

i thought that was a statue representing the local fisherman, not Lenin.


45 posted on 05/16/2005 9:59:41 AM PDT by thefactor
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To: thefactor

Thread about it here.

Original article.

46 posted on 05/16/2005 10:04:12 AM PDT by Paul_Denton (Get the U.N. out of the U.S. and U.S. out of the U.N.!)
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To: Cowman
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.

Heck I will have to see if that is taken here.

47 posted on 05/16/2005 10:05:55 AM PDT by Paul_Denton (Get the U.N. out of the U.S. and U.S. out of the U.N.!)
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To: CPOSharky
"The complainer can go pound salt." Sharky 5-16

"The complainer needs to get her head out of her @ss" Paul MJ-12

48 posted on 05/16/2005 10:10:05 AM PDT by Paul_Denton (Get the U.N. out of the U.S. and U.S. out of the U.N.!)
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To: yooling

I love your tagline!

(Does that koran come in two-ply?)


49 posted on 05/16/2005 10:20:07 AM PDT by B4Ranch ( Report every illegal alien that you meet. Call 866-347-2423, it's a FREE CALL)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

Great plate.

It's only right that she gets to keep it.


50 posted on 05/16/2005 10:22:37 AM PDT by k2blader ('Lost' ping list - Please FReepmail me if you want on/off. :-)
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To: Question_Assumptions

This isn't a criminal prosecution.


51 posted on 05/16/2005 10:25:17 AM PDT by savedbygrace ("No Monday morning quarterback has ever led a team to victory" GW Bush)
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To: savedbygrace
Sure, I know that. But the effect is similar and I think the same principle should apply. I'm not a big fan of creeping bureaucratic authority and I'm not a fan of bureaucratic decisions being made based on anonymous complaints for the same reason I'm not a fan of people being convincted without being able to face their accuser. It gives liars and nitwits way too much power that they can abuse way too easily.
52 posted on 05/16/2005 10:41:56 AM PDT by Question_Assumptions
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
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.

People should have the right to know who their accuser is.

53 posted on 05/16/2005 10:49:05 AM PDT by Netizen ('Have you forced euthanasia on the disabled without having their wishes in writing yet today?')
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To: Manic_Episode
The wench who snivelled and initiated the complaint should have to appear at the review and explain why that verse is so offensive to her, causing the only complaint in 21 years.

The complaintant must know the New Testament by heart. Either that or they had to go LOOK IT UP to see if they could complain about it.

54 posted on 05/16/2005 10:51:46 AM PDT by Netizen ('Have you forced euthanasia on the disabled without having their wishes in writing yet today?')
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