Cops Lie - Granite Grok

Cops Lie

“Criticism of government finds sanctuary in several portions of the 1st Amendment. It is part of the right of free speech. It embraces freedom of the press.” Hugo Black

"Human" formerly known as David Montenegro
“Human” formerly known as David Montenegro

Cops Lie. That is the opinion that Robert Montenegro desired to express through obtaining a vanity plate through the New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles.  Montenegro, who has legally changed his name to “Human” sought to obtain the plate in 2010. He was denied by the NH DMV who, according to the Union Leader, characterized the plate as, “insulting.”

Mr. Human immediately appealed to the Director of Motor Vehicles on May 5 and was denied an appeal informing him that, “a reasonable person would find COPSLIE offensive to good taste,” citing  administrative rule, Saf-C 514.61(c)(3) says a vanity plate shall not be “ethnically, racially or which a reasonable person would find offensive to good taste.”

Mr. Human sought other vanity plate choices and the DMV did issue him, New Hampshire Vanity Plate, GR8GOVT. Thereafter, Mr. Human sought an injunction through Strafford County Superior Court seeking issuance of the COPSLIE plate and enjoining the DMV from recalling it. Judge Lewis (we could have guessed it) denied the injunction, upholding the states denial of the plate.

Finally four years later Mr. Human took this appeal to the Supreme Court and it was heard. The Supreme Court summarily found the restriction unconstitutional finding, “the state regulation is unconstitutionally vague because it is “so loosely constrained” that it “authorizes or even encourages arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement.”

This story aired this morning on WMUR and was featured in the Union Leader. Naturally, I had to go to the comments section to check the pulse of society by way of those so engaged. One commenter replied,

“Whether or not political speech is offensive is irrelevant. Police officers are government employees. If someone has a negative view of them and wishes to articulate that viewpoint in 7 letters or less, that’s their right.”

CopsLieIt needs not be said that truly free speech meets everybody in society’s notion of good taste or is sans objectionable. But in the current era of a politically correct society, free speech is a token notion…window dressing for faux liberty. Hence, it is “free speech,” as long as it offends no person. This isn’t really free speech.

And then there are those who never really deal with the message, rather they attack the messenger.

Who cares? To me, all this guy is saying is ‘I’m stupid.’

Fine. Do tell us why Mr. Human is stupid for displaying this on his personally owned vehicle [insert crickets chirping].

This next little morsel has to be my favorite. One commenter replies,

Now why would you want that for your plates ?? …Ya, that’s what I want to do..entice the police to pull me over. What an ***** !

Dealing with the commenter’s first question, it begs asking, did he even read the article? I mean, lets be candid here, if there weren’t the few among us who seek to challenge State Authority in their own way within the means available to them, who would do so? Who would be the ones who constantly check the governmental power from time to time? Such challenges begin with small acts like obtaining a vanity license plate. As for the rest of us, we wake up, drink our coffee, drive the kids to school, go to work, pay the mortgage, go to soccer games and parent-teacher meetings and then scoff at guys like this in the news without so much as a thought to the impact…the positive impact of his actions. Inversely we say, “what kind of idiot legally changes his name to “Human?”

Then there is the second part of the commenter’s statement about the plate serving as an enticement for unwarranted law enforcement attention. Perhaps in places like Weare or Nashua that might be the case in some small circumstances.  Cops are a mixed bag. Many cops understand that they take an oath to uphold the law, uncolored and unvarnished by their own personal viewpoints. Other cops with egos as big as Montana, narcissistic and perhaps not really temperamentally suited to the job might give in to the temptation of engaging in giving unwanted attention for a license plate that says, “COPSLIE.”

Finally there is the whole notion of cops lying. The statement is out there even if Mr. Human does not get his license plate. The fact is cops do lie. Not all cops lie, but some, in fact do.  The very fact that County Attorneys maintain a Laurie List speaks to the heart of that. And even though all cops do not lie, while some do, one lie affects the credibility of the whole profession. If the police did a better job policing themselves and holding officers to higher standards of accountability,  the discussion would be substantially different. Being offended by a license plate stating a fact does not change the very ugly existence of that fact.

COPSLIE is both a general and a broad statement. But, it is also fair to point out that reasonable thinking people put statements like these into a proper context. In this instance it matter less, the motivation behind the plate, and matters more about how that impacts our rights under the first amendment.

But, most will focus on the “why” and pedestrian notions like,  “this guy is an idiot,” or,  “This guy didn’t like his consequence in the criminal justice system,” instead of the larger furtherance of reigning in a government that arbitrarily seeks to choke out political speech that a few governmental hacks find objectionable.

Perhaps Attorney Paula Werme can now get her license plate that says, “H8DCYF” and not have Safety Officials confiscate it right off her vehicle.

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