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Policy

Brickbat: What Is It Good For?

Charles Oliver | 2.21.2014 6:00 AM

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David DeVarti and the American Civil Liberties Union have sued the Michigan Secretary of State after DeVarti was denied a personalized license plate that says "WAR SUX." State officials contend the license plate would be offensive because the word "sux" has a sexual connotation.

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Charles Oliver is a contributing editor at Reason.

PolicyCivil LibertiesCultureNanny StateWarSexCensorship
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  1. invisible furry hand   11 years ago

    Has a sexual what?

    1. Almanian!   11 years ago

      It kan haz a sexual. Can otherz? No wai!

  2. db   11 years ago

    “Well, Sheriff, we’re gonna SUX ya now…
    But we’re gonna SUX ya slow.“

    1. invisible furry hand   11 years ago

      No such thing as a slow SUX. Or fuel-efficient one. The 6000 SUX: An American Tradition. 8.2 MPG

  3. Almanian!   11 years ago

    “How do you like my new 6000 SUX?!”

    /Robocop

    1. Radioactive   11 years ago

      I’d buy it for a dollar….bada boom

  4. Fist of Etiquette   11 years ago

    “Second, many young children of reading age ride in vehicles and are unwillingly exposed to license plates on other vehicles. They sometimes amuse themselves by reading or playing games with license plates. And because vehicles often travel in residential neighborhoods, youth may be exposed to license plates from their yards or driveways.”

    Just wait until little Timmy, the dyslexic 7th grader down the street, looks at that and sees SUX RAW. Or worse, all that therapy for his condition starts working and he reads it correctly and goes around telling other kids that war might indeed suck major ball sack.

    1. invisible furry hand   11 years ago

      What if he thinks it’s analogous to a hate fuck?

      1. Pavlov's Cat   11 years ago

        …with an army of women… What actually kills you? Exhaustion? Dehydration?

        1. UnCivilServant   11 years ago

          Gangrene.

          1. Radioactive   11 years ago

            euthanasia…much like youth everyware as it turns out…

        2. Redmanfms   11 years ago

          Death, by snoo-snoo…

          The spirit is willing, but the flesh is spongy and bruised.

    2. Steve G   11 years ago

      It is funny when you think of it, when I was a kid (~30yrs ago) saying “you suck” or “that sucks” was almost on the same plane as profanity, at least w/ parents/teachers. You’d be guaranteed to get a ‘correction’. Now, it’s pretty benign

      1. Radioactive   11 years ago

        like many tumors…

        1. Radioactive   11 years ago

          until they get as big as a musk melon

  5. PM   11 years ago

    State officials contend the license plate would be offensive because the word “sux” has a sexual

    Great sentence or greatest sentence?

    1. WTF   11 years ago

      Yeah, I hope Oliver doesn’t fix it because it’s perfect the way it is.

  6. Rich   11 years ago

    I’ve seen license plates using “FK”. Doesn’t *that* have a sexual?

  7. Notorious G.K.C.   11 years ago

    Just get a bumper sticker about an Air Force bake sale.

  8. CampingInYourPark   11 years ago

    War on License Plates!

    How about just stop making customized license plates? If somebody wants to have “Fuck your war” or “The CSA is da bomb” detailed on their bumper then have at it.

    1. Rich   11 years ago

      Exactly. Customized plates are just revenue-makers for the state.

      However, mark my words, at some point “offensive” bumper stickers will be illegal.

      1. Radioactive   11 years ago

        all you offensive license plates are ours…

  9. AlmightyJB   11 years ago

    Everything has sexual connotation when you’re a perv.

  10. Mongo   11 years ago

    I always thought the genesis of ‘sucks’ was short for “suck an egg.”

    “Go suck an egg”.

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