[JediGirl]

Gotta love freedom of speech...

[jonatron]

Mr Miles said: "It's kind of disconcerting to know that the United States is based on freedom of expression, yet in actuality, it's quite restrictive."

Sorry sir, you don't believe in God-given rights.

[steenkeenbadges]

Well at least he's clear on his position. Jesus upbraided the church at Laodecia: "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev 3:16

Seems like the guy's itching to be evangelized!

[billybudd]

So you wouldn't mind banning someone from having a "THEIST" license plate?

[diefree]

can the following words be put on license plates; God, Baptist, Catholic, Jesus, Christian, Muslim, Wiccan, homosexual, abortionist, homophobe, etc.?

[Centurion2000]

I may not agree with the guy but that is not something too controversial for a license plate.

[Eala]

Mr Miles said: "It's kind of disconcerting to know that the United States is based on freedom of expression, yet in actuality, it's quite restrictive."

Sure is. Try practicing your freedom of speech in certain public areas, you'll find out how restrictive it already is. Like outside an abortion clinic.

Nonetheless, IMHO he ought to be able to have the plate.

[jwalsh07]

I actually believ what the first amendment says. He should be able to keep his plate and I should be able to get a plate in CT that says Pro Life. That I can't has no bearing on him keeping his.

[another1]

Grow up, little girl.

[Pharmboy]

This is a disgrace. This man should be allowed to express his beliefs (that is, as long as Born Agains, Orthodox Jews, etc., can express their beliefs on their license plates).

[southernnorthcarolina]

This subject was the lead topic on one of the talk radio station in Charlotte during afternoon drive-time. As you can imagine, here at the buckle of the Bible Belt (home of Billy Graham, and, for many years, Jim and Tammy Bakker), quite a few callers agreed with the prohibition of the "ATHEIST" license plate.

The conversation drifted over to vanity license plates in general. I recall that in 1980, an elderly couple (I think in Florida) had a license plate which said "IRAN", which, needless to say, didn't make them popular during the hostage crisis. The thing is, it was totally innocent on their part: his name was Ira, and hers was Ann, hence "IRAN" on the plate, which they had for several years prior to the hostage crisis. After the crisis broke, they had to hide their car in their garage until the new plates which they had hastily ordered arrived.

I have a friend with a vanity plate consisting of ones, I's, zeroes, and O's. Something like "1I0O0I01", the theory being that if she ever gets a ticket, there's a fair chance the police officer won't get the license number quite right, and she'll escape on a technicality. I rather admire that line of reasoning.

[goldstategop]

I don't find it objectionable. I wonder though if FL would ban a license plate that said "JESUS IS LOVE."

[cactmh]

Wow, right here in my back yard...I can assure you all that he is one of many weirdos around here.

[Bob J]

Radio Free Republic Presents

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---

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Tune in to Radio FreeRepublic this Thursday, March 14, at 9 PM EST, and listen to the actual sounds of a terrorist in action, murdering unarmed American citizens.

Sr. José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue and pilot of the surviving Cessna, will shed light on the events of that day, and detail how the Clinton administration withheld advanced knowledge of the attack from the humanitarian volunteer group, helping seal the fate of these four courageous flyers.

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[lump in the melting pot]

A little while back there was an uproar about a Muslim woman who wanted to keep her face covered on her FL driver's license photo. The consensus of the ~500 comments was that for the purpose of maintaining a civil society, public roads, the cars that drive over them and the drivers of those cars are subject to certain rules which are a bit more restrictive than the Bill of Rights, alone. Just as the purpose of a driver's license is to simply identify the driver, not pander to their religious beliefs, the purpose of a license tag is to identify the vehicle, not to be a personal billboard. That's what bumpers are for ("Keep honking, I'm reloading" and other such witticisms). I know of a guy who got a Florida commemorative space shuttle Challenger tag that said "KA-BOOM". Now, was the DMV right or wrong in taking it away from him? As far as I know, the US is the only country where drivers have any opportunity to customize their car tags. IMO, it's a privilege, not a right, and privileges can be revoked, even if the reasons are trite. If they were forcing this man to peel certain stickers off his bumper, it would be more of a free-speech issue, but since the DMV has ultimate authority over licensing cars (to which authority we explicitly submit when we drive on public roads), it's more of a case of (overzealous, to be sure) bureaucrats who are nevertheless well within their purview.

In summary, should a person be able to customize their tag? Yes. Is it a big deal if the DMV says "no"? To Steven Miles, yes, to the rest of us, maybe not. If I were him, I'd try sneaking in "HERETIC", "GALILEO", "GAGGED",... The possibilities are vast.

Just my $0.02...

[Osage Orange]

I wonder if I can have "THERAPIST" on my license plate?

[oldvike]

Jedigirl is right. As despicable as this man's license plate is, he still has the right to put it on his car.

[waterstraat]

I am a christian, but I see nothing wrong with his plate in america. I also used to know a woman in Massachusetts, Patricia, whose plate said: Lucifer

[MissAmericanPie]

PC run amok again.

[monkeyshine]

Moron. It's not restricting speech. He can print a big bumper sticker that says "athiest" if he wants to.

[SC_Republican]

ATHEIST is fine.....just don't put DEMOCRAT on that plate!!!!

(or are those one in the same:)