I support meaningless, jingoistic cliches!

Posted by High Priestess Kang as News

Retired cop fights to keep ‘GETOSAMA’ plates
DMV demands man return plates that call for al-Qaida leader’s capture

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. - A retired police officer is seeking a court order to force the state Department of Motor Vehicles to drop its demand that he return vanity license plates calling for the capture or death of Osama bin Laden.Arno Herwerth, a 21-year veteran of the New York Police Department, said he requested the “GETOSAMA” plates earlier this month to send a political message. He said he was surprised to hear, after receiving the plates, that the DMV wanted them back.

In a Nov. 15 letter to Herwerth, the agency cited a regulation prohibiting plates that could be considered “obscene, lewd, lascivious, derogatory to a particular ethnic group or patently offensive.” It returned his previous generic license plates and asked that he send the “GETOSAMA” plates, which were issued Nov. 2, back to its Albany headquarters.

Herwerth, 42, said in a phone interview that it was important to him that the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which bin Laden is accused of orchestrating, be remembered.

“I got the plates because of 9/11,” he said. “I want to keep the message alive that this man needs to be killed or captured. It’s been a long time, but we haven’t forgotten.”

Free speech issue?
Herwerth’s attorney, Vincent Amicizia, said he would seek a temporary restraining order in U.S. District Court that would prevent the DMV from revoking the “GETOSAMA” plates. He maintains the plates are patriotic because the sentiment supports the U.S. war against terrorism.

“That’s the oddity of this case,” Amicizia said. “I’ve never heard of a First Amendment case that seeks to suppress patriotic speech.”

Tara Keenan-Thomson, executive director of the Nassau County chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said she is aware that states have denied plates based on offensive messages, but she is not sure why the “GETOSAMA” plates were interpreted negatively by state officials.

“What is unique is that this message does reflect the policies of the present administration,” she said. “When ‘offensive’ is applied to political views, it encroaches on free speech.”

State DMV spokesman Ken Brown said the plates “didn’t meet DMV regulation standards, and issuing them would be inappropriate.” He declined further comment.

Ugh. Where do I begin with this one?

First of all, we have a retired cop. Retired at the ripe, old age of 42. Thanks for your service, pal, but aren’t you a little too young to be sitting around the house, moldering? That’s my gig.

Then, we have the retired, moldering cop tying this bullshit to September 11th. I hate to point out the phucking obvious but it’s 2007. Either this retired cop is one of the laziest motherphuckers (in which case, for the benefit of the citizens of New York, I’m relieved he has retired) for not getting his ass to the DMV for SIX PHUCKING YEARS or he’s really stupid since it took him SIX PHUCKING YEARS to come up with this cack. Either way, he doesn’t deserve to have his precious vanity plate because:

• It’s retarded
• It’s not creative
• It’s sooooooo 2001

Good G-d, please get me out of this country.

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