GET OSAMA Tag Banned in New York
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James Joyner | Tuesday, November 20, 2007 |
The federal government may have a $25 million reward for fugitive terrorist Osama bin Laden, but a retired city cop says the Department of Motor Vehicles has banned his “GETOSAMA” vanity license plates as offensive.
Arno Herwerth, 42, a retired NYPD sergeant from Hauppauge, in Suffolk County, told The Post he’s flabbergasted by the DMV’s kibosh, terming the agency’s move as “unpatriotic” and political correctness run amok.
“This is unbelievable,” an angry Herwerth told The Post, insisting he’s puzzled at how his support for a US foreign policy goal can be viewed as objectionable. It’s unpatriotic and absolutely disgusts me that anyone would consider that in any way offensive other than if you’re a member of al Qaeda,” Herwerth said. “You look back at Pearl Harbor and WWII and you wonder, would they be offended by, ‘Get Hitler’?” he lamented.
DMV spokesman Nick Cantiello insisted the “GETOSAMA” plates violate a regulation that bans any tag that is “obscene, lewd, lascivious, derogatory to a particular ethnic or other group or patently offensive.”
This is certainly a baffling decision. Who exactly is offended by the idea that we should “Get Osama”?
Then again, this sort of nonsense is what happens when we give bureaucrats the right to unilaterally declare things “offensive.” The rulings will often be arbitrary, inconsistent, and downright silly. The incentives, though, reward CYA rather than maximum free speech.
Given that people can display virtually anything they want on bumper stickers and other displays on their vehicle, it’s far from clear what’s accomplished by policing the statements which may be purchased on a vanity plate. Further, while court rulings have given the government great latitude in these matters, this would seem to obviously violate the letter of the First Amendment.
Elsewhere:
- Pam Gellar finds blowing up buildings and killing thousands more offensive than the plate.
- John Clark notes that this isn’t the first time the license plate police have gone overboard.
via Memeorandum
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia.
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This is an example of why I have rejected several job offers in NY!
BAGOSAMA
I first saw this and thought, why are they banning a political license plate? Then I realized, it wasn't Obama! It was Osama! It is so hard to keep these muslims straight!
One's a terrorist, another is someone who could care less about terrorism. One wants to control the world, another wants to control American's pocketbooks. One of them hopes we don’t protect ourselves from Islamic terrorism, the other doesn't want us to protect ourselves.
One is a muslim with extremist views. The other certainly seems like a muslim with extremist views. We are trying to hunt down and kill on of them, the other we are trying to get elected president. Only in America!
One of them hopes we don’t protect ourselves from Islamic terrorism, the other doesn't want us to protect ourselves.
One is a muslim with extremist views. The other certainly seems like a muslim with extremist views.
JJ, is Christopher banning a site policy against sheer stupidity? Could such a policy be enacted retroactively?
So much for free speech. Even then he had to pay extra for this. I hope they at least refund him. What a sad day when you can not express your opinion in public. Oh, wait a minute: GETOSAMA, BAGOSAMA, KILOSAMA, BRNOSAMA, HNGOSAMA, XQTOSAMA. There!
JJ, is Anderson violating a site policy against being a political neophyte? Could such a policy be enacted retroactively?
Maybe he could send the plates to Bush, who certainly seems to have forgotten about justice for the thousands of Americans murdered on 9.11
Oh, and I have to agree that maybe it's time to give Christopher the hook. He really gives idiots a bad name.
This is certainly a baffling decision. Who exactly is offended by the idea that we should “Get Osama”?
Rabid GWB fans. "Get Osama" is embarassing to them -- they've moved on to Iraq and Iran.
By the way, check out this license plate by a wounded Iraq combat vet: FIRAQ. Maybe FOSAMA would fly.
Censorship, anjin-asian? Typical liberal way to look at something you don't agree with.
Nothing to do with political leanings Christopher. Educated, cultured people from across the spectrum just don't care to mingle with bigoted, ignorant, fools (see a mirror if you are confused about what one looks like).
btw, I voted for Reagan, twice.
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