The idiocy of car window stickers, license plates, and flag lapel pins.

[Cyrano]

This morning, I was behind a car at a red light that had about a dozen stickers on the back window. They were a partial life story of the car’s owner and the owner’s family. There was a college sticker, a marine sticker, an American flag sticker, a “Best Grandpa in the World” sticker, a Bush/Cheney ’04 sticker, an “If you can read this, you’re too close” sticker, and … well, you get the idea.

As the car pulled away, I wasn’t surprised to see that it had a “Choose Life” license plate. (Yeah, we’ve got those damn things in Florida.)

Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but I’ve never felt the need to decorate my car with all, or part, of my life story and/or my beliefs. This may get me flamed, but it's possible that "decorators" have a need for recognition and/or the approval of total strangers. Or not. Who the hell knows?

Then there are lapel pins. Why do some people feel the need to let others know that they are a member of the Elks, or the Knights of Columbus?

The only exception to lapel IDs is the American flag. People really need to understand that this particular pin has been a weapon that the Republicans started using during the Nixon years. It was a statement that said “Unless you’re wearing one of these, you’re not a ‘real’ American.”

It was an issue during the last election, so Obama finally put one on and has worn one ever since. He’s smart enough to know that you pick your fights and that a fucking flag lapel pin wasn’t a fight worth picking.

But flag pins aside, perhaps someone can explain to me why people have this need to decorate their cars and lapels. Doesn’t anyone value anonymity anymore?

[Echo In Light]

1. Chris Hedges has a good take on the flag overkill on vehicles...

When you see a vehicle like that, does it instill a sense of inclusiveness, or of valuing democratic ideals?

No. It looks ANGRY, and highly exclusionary.

[Cyrano]

4. I love the cars that have two flags attached to the windows, flapping in the wind

It always makes me wonder if I'm driving behind George Patton.

[Echo In Light]

9. Or more likely someone who believes every bit of pro-war, right-wing propaganda

And hates liberals, gays, the homeless, weirdo-pinko-commies, and "Obama's 'socialist' agenda."

[Richardo]

2. I gotta say, when I see a car festooned with more than 2 stickers in Houston, it's usually a lib.

Maybe because some feel that since we have absolutely NO voice here they have to overcompensate. Me, I display one at a time, magnetized, so I can switch them out and remove them when parked.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. This is very true. Lefties have to compensate for lack of media outlets.

I recently moved to E Texas from Houston. I had a bunch of stickers on my Mazda, but recently scraped 'em all off.

Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican - Buy American CWA - Clinton/Gore 96 - School of the Woods - Darwin Fish - Amnesty International

And just to confuse the hell out of the rightwingers:

I (heart) OPERA - Houston Grand Opera

:rofl:

[sellitman]

3. I do it just to piss off Republicans

I get the chills when they drive by and give me the finger.


That means I was successful.

[NeedleCast]

5. Most People Like to Feel Included

You appear to differ from that norm, nothing wrong with that.

I have an Obama 08 bumer sticker and a Decepticons bumper sticker (because I'm sure my car will transform at some point...I'm sure...I'm sure...) I'm proud to display the Obama sticker because I'm proud of him being our president. Others are proud of the groups that they support or orgnaizations they're a part of and want to display their membership or association with those groups or organizations.

I pretty much agree with you on the American flag lapel pin and see it all too frequently here in D.C.

[Cyrano]

8. Okay, call me a hypocrite, but I still love to see the Obama '08 bumper stickers

[hlthe2b]

6. I've never put anything on my car except for a magnet

with no words, just the Obama logo and only on election day for good luck.... I can't afford to have my car vandalized so no bumper stickers for me... But, I certainly don't mind other's originality.

[Romulox]

7. Remember the American flag decals that appeared on Toyotas and Hondas after 911?

:rofl:

[katmondoo]

10. Today, I saw a T-shirt with a "Christian Dentists" logo

I guess you can't see a dentist in Florida unless you carry the bible and swear to be a Christian.

[gratuitous]

11. Better than those goddam Buddhist dentists

They won't give you novocaine because they want you to transcend dental medication.

[RaleighNCDUer]

18. LOL!

[Geoff R. Casavant]

19. Okay, did you two set that up?

That was funny -- and how many times do you get to deliver a line like that in real life?

I can count two times in my life when I had a set-up like that, that wasn't pre-arranged.

[gratuitous]

22. Thanks folks! We'll be here all week

And remember, it's hip to tip. Try the veal!

[Cyrano]

13. It's possible that "Christian Dentists" don't use novocaine and tell you to just pray instead

[Hekate]

24. I had one of those when I was a kid. But he might've been Buddhist. Either way, ouch.

:spank:

[Birdiesmom]

12. Well, some folks think it "helps" to show the public how many people...

...support a particular view. I.e., the more "pro-life" bumper stickers you see, the more likely you are to believe that most people support "pro-life."

Since most of those people aren't "pro-life" when it comes to war victims and criminals on death row, I think their bumper stickers are highly hypocritical, and am not impressed by them.

I take bumper stickers and lapel pins with a grain of salt. It's sad that I've come to associate displays of the American flag with religious intolerance and bigotry, but that's what happened when the so-called "religious Right" decided to wrap themselves in the flag and the Bible, and use both as an excuse for pretty much any human rights violation they chose to further their self interests.

Of course, I am guilty of having a bumper sticker that reads, "When Jesus said 'Love your enemies,' he probably meant don't kill them." I put it on my car as a message to my fellow church members and coworkers, when the "Bush/Cheney 2004" and "These colors don't run" stickers in the parking lots became overwhelming. I simply wanted to show that not all Christians were walking in lock-step with the Bush Administration.

[Vickers]

14. I'm generally for them, but the "I LOVE MY WIFE" ones

seem a little...odd.

[Marr]

15. There's a guy in my neighborhood with a hundred contradictory bumper stickers.

Or- maybe contradictory isn't the word. Maybe competing is more accurate. He's anti-abortion rights, but wants marijuana legalized. He's against the death penalty, but pro-gun. He's against Bush's illegal surveillance, but for the occupation of Iraq.

[RoadRage]

16. Why you gotta be hatin' on all my cars?!

MY SUV:


MY JUNKER:


MY REDNECK-MOBILE:


MY "PARTNER & I'S WEDDING GET-A-WAY" CAR:


MY "GOIN' TO CHURCH" CAR:


MY OTHER "GOIN' TO CHURCH" CAR:


JESUS H. CHRIST:


Alright.. seriously - no more googling "jesus cars" for me today.. i'm beyond freaked.

[RaleighNCDUer]

17. Some do it to demostrate that they are in the 'in' group.

I, on the other hand, do it to demonstrate that there are other opinions out there, which is why I have "Kerry/Edwards", "Obama 08", "People for the American Way", "Conservative is Code for Corporate Elitist", "Protect America, Defeat Bush", "W orst president ever" and (of course) "Democratic Underground" stickers on my car.

I like to think that my demonstration of alternate realities helped to turn NC blue this time. People tend toward the norm - and the more I can show that the 'norm' is NOT the norm, the better.

[Geoff R. Casavant]

20. I don't wear a flag, I wear my military medals

I put them on my suit lapel to honor the Pentagon victims of 9/11. I will take them off when Mr. Bid Laden is confirmed captured or killed.

Every time I go to the courthouse, I guarantee at least one person asks about them, and I am glad to tell them.

[flvegan]

21. I wear a Red Sox baseball hat.

And at times a Sea Shepherd t-shirt. I think it's a matter of expressing what somebody likes or supports. Or where they've been or what they've done. The car is just a rolling billboard for it.

For the record, I only have one bumper sticker. My Obama one, and only because I haven't been able to get the damn thing off.

[Cyrano]

27. A Red Sox baseball cap? I'm horrified.

I'm content to carry around a small pamphlet of "The Greatest Sayings of Yogi Berra" in my pocket.

[KamaAina]

25. Where's your flag pin?!

Why do you hate America so much??!! FReeper!!!



:sarcasm:

[bigwillq]

26. I lease, so I can't decorate.

But if it's their car, they can do whatever they choose with it. I guess if I owned my own car, I would put some stickers up.