Virginia's House of Delegates (legislature) has again violated the First Amendment by refusing to allow the Sons of Confederate Veterans to have a state license plate.
For years, the non-profit, tax exempt educational and historical group has had custom license plates sold in the Old Dominion. Then, after fierce debate, the House of Delegates said, no more. They have refused to allow these plates.
This comes after a federal judge had earlier ruled that if you allow one group to have custom license plates, you must allow all groups to have one. For example, you can't allow public school teachers to have a plate but deny one to NRA members. You can't allow a plate for the NAACP but deny one to the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV).
Constitutional attorney John Whitehead, the founder of the Rutherford Institute, makes this point very clearly on his website. Here is the link for those who want to read Mr. Whitehead's piece:
https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/censoring_the_confederate_flag_is_unconstitutional
Whitehead makes the point that it is controversial or unpopular speech that needs constitutional protection. And that you cannot censor speech just because it is unpopular or controversial. The Supreme Court has ruled on this time and again.
But, in the typical over-reaction to all things that could be considered controversial or racist or "insensitive," the Virginia lawmaking body decided to lash out at the Sons of Confederate Veterans. The federal courts, of course, will step in and put them in their place.
But it just shows you how crazy and hyper-sensitive our PC world has become.
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