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