U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument In Texas License Plate Case Refers Repeatedly to Hypothetical Discrimination Concerning Political Parties

On March 23, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Walker v Texas Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans, 14-144.  Texas lets hundreds of organizations, as well as commercial establishments like restaurants, arrange for automobile license plates that carry the emblem or insignia of that organization or business.  But Texas won’t let the Sons of Confederate Veterans have its own license plates.

During the oral argument, four times, one justice or another wanted to know if the U.S. Constitution would let Texas issue specialty plates for the Republican Party and yet refuse such plates for the Democratic Party.  The attorney for the state of Texas consistently said that would not violate the First Amendment, but that it probably would violate the Due Process Clause or the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Here the transcript.  There is a reference to political parties on page 7-9, 24-25, and 56.


Comments

U.S. Supreme Court Oral Argument In Texas License Plate Case Refers Repeatedly to Hypothetical Discrimination Concerning Political Parties — 9 Comments

  1. Attention SCOTUS and lawyer MORONS —
    See the 2 NO Title of Nobility clauses in the de facto DEAD USA Const.

    SPECIAL rights, etc. with ye olde TON — in the EVIL rotted bad olde days in England — ruling class gangsters.

    How soon before Civil WAR II — due [again] to the SCOTUS HACKS ???
    See Dred Scott v. Sandford 1857 – a mere 4 years before the horrific Civil WAR I in 1861-1865.

  2. How about other statist stuff — ALL government property – movable and non-movable —

    having *selective* ANTI-party stuff ???

    e.g. in a communist Donkey / fascist Elephant State —

    all sorts of ads on such property saving —

    Vote for the Elephants / Donkeys and you will be killed (or merely be put in jail for 200 years) !!!

    See the anti-Jewish, ant-gay, anti-whatever stuff in the Hitler 1933-1945 regime — i.e. official govt policy stuff.

    Both major gangs are trying to get PERMANENT control of the USA regime.
    How soon before Civil WAR II ???
    Who has the biggest control freak mouth –
    a leftwing Donkey or a rightwing Elephant ???
    Stay tuned.

  3. Would the U.S. Court allow the NAACP to ask for a specialty plate? They should, just as they should let the SCV do the same thing. As long as the message is not offensive, then the name, emblem, or initials of a group should not be prohibited. If we start doing that, then the 1st amendment is lost forever. It’s time for people to get a life.

  4. I am waiting for the Klan to demand theirs which will lead to shutting all of this craziness down. Folks, if you want to display a message on your car, get a bumper sticker. Number plates should be uniform throughout the state and for the sole purpose of identifying the rolling stock. You don’t see this ridiculousness in Europe.

  5. The Confederate battle flag has for the most part become stigmatized. That is just a fact. Yes, the Sons of the Confederacy should be allowed a plate, but without the flag imagery and its connotation.

    What reaction would there be if the Hindu Temple Society of Texas requested a license plate with the swastika (an austere and sacred symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism)?

    Stigmatized imagery.

  6. Brad, you lake a good point about the Hindu/Buddhist symbol. The arguments will never end which is all the more reason to get the States out of this business. It is nothing more than money grubbing, driving distractions, and road rage fodder.

  7. The 1st Amdt is ALL above being OFFENSIVE.

    See the various pamphlets and newspaper items in 1761-1776 totally blasting the Brit regime

    — as being a regime of control freak TYRANTS —

    Brit regime symbols – the monarchy logo, the Brit flag.

    For the clueless the Brit regime attempted to copy the Spainish regime in the treatment of Spainish colonies — i.e. Spain colony folks having ZERO rights.

    I.E. the 1776 Brit regime had become totally EVIL and powermad arrogant.

    Thank Heaven that the French monarchy / oligarchs still hated the Brits

    — i.e. the French regime econ and military help in 1778-1781 to enable the USA-France Victory at Yorktown, VA on 19 Oct 1781

    — i.e. DOOM for the Brit monarchy / oligarchs and their tyrant stuff in the USA.

    Thus – back to the EVIL past with the MORON license plate stuff in the MORON Texas regime.

  8. Jeff: A bumper sticker can be just as “offensive” and as “provocative” as an emblem on a state license plate. The issue here is the 1st amendment. Whether it’s a bumper sticker or a state license plate, people have a right to express an opinion. The day we say they can’t, that’s the day the 1st amendment dies.

    Perhaps it is time that in order to be able to vote, citizens should take a brief course on the 1st amendment. If someone does not understand the right of the 1st amendment, giving them the right to vote is a dangerous weapon.

    I worry about our republic. Actually, I worry for my grandchildren who are likely going to have the chance to live in this republic for at least an average of 70 years. If it keeps going like it has been for the last 25 years, this nation will implode. God have mercy on all of us!

  9. The two commercial plates are arguably for Texas institutions.

    Proceeds from the Dr.Pepper plate support the museum in Waco. That for Freebirds supports a foundation.

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