DMV board votes down Confederate plate

[sonias]

AAS 11/10/11
DMV board votes down Confederate plate

The state Department of Motor Vehicles’ governing board this morning voted down a controversial proposal for a specialty license plate displaying the Confederate battle flag.
The vote was 8-0, with Vice Chair Cheryl Johnson absent.

The decision brought cheers and applause from the packed hearing room near the State Capitol. The decision came after nearly two hours of sometimes-emotional testimony, highlighted by U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, leading a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance while holding up a large U.S. flag.

“There are always those who take the wrong side of history for the right side of politics,” he said. “”This is an opportunity to take the right side of history and the right side of politics.”

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, an ancestral history group, had sought the plate as a way to raise money for memorials and history projects.

:thumbsup:

[kentauros]

1. What a great vote! 8-0

How often does that happen on the side of intelligence? And, it's more fuel for us to help the rest of DU realize that we aren't all just a bunch of uneducated bigots down here.

The people have spoken! :thumbsup:

[sonias]

2. "the right side of history"

Yes very surprising vote, but I'm happy they aren't all revisionists who think the confederate flag is something we need to promote.

[onestepforward]

3. I'm very happy to see this vote of 8-0

The Sons of Confederate Veterans need to find another way to raise money. Good grief.

[sonias]

4. DMV Board Rejects Confederate License Plate

Texas Tribune 11/10/11
DMV Board Rejects Confederate License Plate

In a packed hearing room where opponents of the plate overwhelmingly outnumbered supporters, the DMV board heard emotional testimony from Texas lawmakers, pastors and veterans groups. U.S. Rep. Al Green, D-Houston, finished his testimony against the plate by leading the crowd in an impromptu recital of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The board today also approved a specialty license plate commemorating Buffalo Soldiers, cavalry units that were composed of African-American soldiers after the Civil War.

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, who sponsored both plates, weaved his testimony with a lesson in Texas history and sprinkled in quotes from Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee to argue that the plates were about specifically honoring the soldiers.

(snip)

Nine states have specialty license plates with the logo of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, according to the group. It had to sue three of those states — Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia — to get the license plate issued.

Granvel Block, Texas division commander of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, said after the vote that he had already begun to explore legal options.

Lets be clear, Patterson only sponsored the Buffalo soldier's plate so he would get a better chance at getting his divisive confederate flag one through.

And I'd also like to point out that the Buffalo soldier plate was approved on a vote of 5-3.
:wtf: Why would anyone oppose plates honoring their service to our country?

[Bucky]

5. It's the Dracula of political ideologies. It's only dead until someone decides to make a sequel.

[sonias]

7. You're right

It's going to the courts next and the courts have been siding with the KKK CCC on this one saying the plates are free speech.

:shrug:

[Bucky]

8. It is free speech. There's no way to get around that. It just shouldn't be gov't sanctioned.

If you wanna put a confederate flag on your car, like the Duke boys, it's permissible. It's obnoxious, but it's still an opinion. But I'll be goddamned if our shared government is gonna endorse hate speech.

[sonias]

9. I'm on your side

I do think the state should be able to say "no" period! Just like you said - let them print their own stickers, etc and collect their own damn monies as a group. I agree that the state should not have to sell for them.

But for whatever reason, the courts are siding with the Confederates on these plates in other states:

Granvel Block, commander of the group’s Texas division, said a lawsuit was likely. Lawsuits in North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland resulted in approval of the specialty plates, after initial turn-downs by a state agency.

As you said in your first statement - it's not over.

:mad:

[plumbob]

6. Excellent.

Thanks!