| If you get out and drive around town at all you have | | | | specific group of people that it is okay, at least in |
| surely seen all kinds of different bumper stickers | | | | Georgia. |
| ranging from just a timid "Virginia is for Lovers" to "I | | | | Despite the victories by these mentioned above and |
| hate Bush" and many variations between. We see | | | | many others there are a lot of states that have laws |
| parents displaying stickers stating they are proud of | | | | similar to the one below: |
| their child like the "my child is an honor student" ones, | | | | According to the law in Tennessee, "the display of |
| and conversely the negative parody, "my kid beat up | | | | obscene and patently offensive movies, bumper |
| your honor student". What you may not know is that | | | | stickers, window signs, or other markings on or in a |
| many states have statutes prohibiting certain kinds of | | | | motor vehicle which is visible to other drivers is |
| statements or illustrations. Is this a violation of our rights | | | | prohibited and display of such materials shall subject |
| under the First Amendment? Let's take a look at what | | | | the owner of the vehicle on which they are displayed, |
| is being said. | | | | upon conviction, to a fine of not less than $2.00, nor |
| The U.S. Supreme Court has stated that "the | | | | more than $50.00." The state defines obscene like this: |
| government may not prohibit the expression of an idea | | | | "(A) The average person applying contemporary |
| simply because society finds the idea itself offensive | | | | community standards would find that the work, taken |
| or disagreeable and the fact that protected speech | | | | as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest; |
| may be offensive to some does not justify its | | | | (B) The average person applying contemporary |
| suppression." | | | | community standards would find that the work depicts |
| Regardless, there have still been many situations | | | | or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual |
| where individuals have been cited for the language or | | | | conduct; and |
| illustrations displayed on their vehicles. One woman in | | | | (C) The work, taken as a whole, lacks serious literary, |
| Florida who had the famous four letter word for | | | | artistic, political, or scientific value |
| intercourse stated three times on a sticker was cited | | | | (11) "Patently offensive" means that which goes |
| but the charges were dropped because the word | | | | substantially beyond customary limits of candor in |
| was not being used in a sexual context. | | | | describing or representing such matters. |
| A man in Georgia displaying the infamous "_ _it | | | | I have to agree with what the Georgia court |
| happens" statement was fined $100 by a local | | | | concluded their ruling in the case mentioned above, a |
| jurisdiction, he took the case to the Georgia Supreme | | | | statement from Benjamin Franklin, "Everything one has |
| Court citing that the law was unconstitutional and they | | | | a right to do is not best to be done." So, in plain English, |
| sided with him saying, "the peace of society is not | | | | just because we have a right to do it doesn't mean |
| endangered by the profane or lewd word which is not | | | | we should. Use some common sense in what you |
| directed at a particular audience." This seems to state | | | | display on your car. |
| that as long as you aren't directing your remark to a | | | | |