Some lady was pulled over the other day...
...(not me this time) because she had a bumper sticker that said something like, "I'm fed up with this BushShit." The officer gave her a ticket for that. He didn't charge her with a crime, he didn't lock her up, he simply ticketed the woman. Naturally, she felt that the ticket was a violation of her free speech:
"This is all about free speech," Grier said in a telephone interview Monday. "The officer pulled me over because he didn't agree with my politics. That's what this is about, not whether I support Bush, not because of the war in Iraq, but about my right to free speech."
I don't think so. I think it's about the right's of other people to drive down the road with their children and not have to hear, "Mommy...what is BushShit?"
What statement is the woman making? That she can't think of any other way to express herself without using vulgarity? That she has no respect for elderly people or children who see that bumper sticker?
I'm confused...exactly what is the message here?
That woman could have chosen any number of political statements to place on her bumper for all to see but she chose one that is offensive to a large number of citizens, whether they support Bush or not. She wouldn't have gotten a ticket if she had chosen a bumper sticker that said something less offensive.
She could have chosen any number of forums from which she could excercise her freedom of speech yet she chose to slap a sticker on her car and lazily drive away. Nobody would have given her a ticket if she had written a letter to the editor.
She could begin a web site that discusses the war in Iraq and other issues that she disagrees with the president about and no one would have given her a ticket.
But, when she put that vulgar bumper sticker on her car and drove around the most populated area of metropolitan Atlanta, she forced her foul speech on a population of Americans who, like it or not, make up a huge sector of the Bible Belt. In this country, we allow community standards to set the norm when we consider what is offensive and in this particular community, we consider it offensive when a person forces their vulgar words upon us as we innocently drive down the road.
In a nation where we're assaulted daily by vulgarity, it's nice to know that somewhere there's a police officer who has the nerve to risk hearing some stupid diatribe on freedom of speech. He had to have known that the woman in the car would do that, what else would she have said to defend herself? Knowing what he was in for, he still had the nerve to pull the woman over in this time of "anything goes". He risked hearing the jokes of his fellow police officers and the wrath of all who dislike Bush.
The woman said that the officer didn't like her politics. I don't know his politics. I don't know the woman's politics either. All I know is that she has no respect for other drivers on the road and the officer does. Those are the only two messages that come through clearly.
Although I felt as though this blog had no place in my trial last month, it was, indeed, admitted. I'm sure that I offended a few of the people involved with what was written in it. But, the judge never said that I couldn't do it, he didn't even say that I COULDN'T use my probation officer's name...he just asked me nicely not to and I politely agreed. I don't see where anyone in these here parts are trying to squelch free speech. Rather, the judge specifically said that this blog and my thoughts were protected. When the woman goes to court, I'm sure that another fair fact finder will decide whether or not that bumper sticker is protected speech.
Let me know what you think about this issue by voting in the poll. It will be the first question asked on the left side of this blog, below the Link List.
Thanks.
Meg
UPDATED OPINION: After drinking a couple of cups of coffee and giving the matter further thought, I do think that, while offensive, the woman had the right to put the stupid bumper sticker on her car. Damn. I hate when I have to admit that I spoke too soon and was wrong. But, I was. I guess.
...(not me this time) because she had a bumper sticker that said something like, "I'm fed up with this BushShit." The officer gave her a ticket for that. He didn't charge her with a crime, he didn't lock her up, he simply ticketed the woman. Naturally, she felt that the ticket was a violation of her free speech:
"This is all about free speech," Grier said in a telephone interview Monday. "The officer pulled me over because he didn't agree with my politics. That's what this is about, not whether I support Bush, not because of the war in Iraq, but about my right to free speech."
I don't think so. I think it's about the right's of other people to drive down the road with their children and not have to hear, "Mommy...what is BushShit?"
What statement is the woman making? That she can't think of any other way to express herself without using vulgarity? That she has no respect for elderly people or children who see that bumper sticker?
I'm confused...exactly what is the message here?
That woman could have chosen any number of political statements to place on her bumper for all to see but she chose one that is offensive to a large number of citizens, whether they support Bush or not. She wouldn't have gotten a ticket if she had chosen a bumper sticker that said something less offensive.
She could have chosen any number of forums from which she could excercise her freedom of speech yet she chose to slap a sticker on her car and lazily drive away. Nobody would have given her a ticket if she had written a letter to the editor.
She could begin a web site that discusses the war in Iraq and other issues that she disagrees with the president about and no one would have given her a ticket.
But, when she put that vulgar bumper sticker on her car and drove around the most populated area of metropolitan Atlanta, she forced her foul speech on a population of Americans who, like it or not, make up a huge sector of the Bible Belt. In this country, we allow community standards to set the norm when we consider what is offensive and in this particular community, we consider it offensive when a person forces their vulgar words upon us as we innocently drive down the road.
In a nation where we're assaulted daily by vulgarity, it's nice to know that somewhere there's a police officer who has the nerve to risk hearing some stupid diatribe on freedom of speech. He had to have known that the woman in the car would do that, what else would she have said to defend herself? Knowing what he was in for, he still had the nerve to pull the woman over in this time of "anything goes". He risked hearing the jokes of his fellow police officers and the wrath of all who dislike Bush.
The woman said that the officer didn't like her politics. I don't know his politics. I don't know the woman's politics either. All I know is that she has no respect for other drivers on the road and the officer does. Those are the only two messages that come through clearly.
Although I felt as though this blog had no place in my trial last month, it was, indeed, admitted. I'm sure that I offended a few of the people involved with what was written in it. But, the judge never said that I couldn't do it, he didn't even say that I COULDN'T use my probation officer's name...he just asked me nicely not to and I politely agreed. I don't see where anyone in these here parts are trying to squelch free speech. Rather, the judge specifically said that this blog and my thoughts were protected. When the woman goes to court, I'm sure that another fair fact finder will decide whether or not that bumper sticker is protected speech.
Let me know what you think about this issue by voting in the poll. It will be the first question asked on the left side of this blog, below the Link List.
Thanks.
Meg
UPDATED OPINION: After drinking a couple of cups of coffee and giving the matter further thought, I do think that, while offensive, the woman had the right to put the stupid bumper sticker on her car. Damn. I hate when I have to admit that I spoke too soon and was wrong. But, I was. I guess.
posted by Meg Kelso | 6:07 AM
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