General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: BREAKING - Gov. McAuliffe orders Confederate flags off Viriginia license plates [View all]SunSeeker
(58,237 posts)I said the Texas decision stood for the proposition that license plates are government speech. Government speech is not protected by the 1st Am. Government speech is further constrained by the 14th Am equal protection clause.
I don't deify law professors. Theyre just lawyers working in academia. I don't think a state could refuse a pro-choice plate if it allowed a "pro-life" plate. I think that would violate the equal protection clause and the 1st Am. Because once the state decides it is going to allow license plates to in essence be used as a public forum on certain issues, it needs to respect all non-offensive speech equally, within the limits afforded government speech. I think displaying the Confederate Battle Flag is offensive hate speech that a state not only has a right to ban, whether or not it allows abortion plates, but arguably is required to ban since it in essense gives government sanction to the terrorizing of African Americans. IMO a state allowing Confederate plates violates the 14th Am. So sue me.