Free speech debate on bumper sticker grows / LJWorld.com

Archive for Tuesday, March 20, 2007

By John Hanna - Associated Press Writer

March 20, 2007

Topeka — A legislative staffer who put an anti-war bumper sticker with a profanity on her car and parked it in the Statehouse garage upset one lawmaker and had the governor and others debating the limits of free speech.

Ashley Holm's sticker created speculation that her full-time, yearlong paid internship with the Legislative Research Department was in jeopardy, although the lawmaker who complained said he didn't seek to have her fired.

It wasn't clear Monday whether any action had been taken, and the sticker was still visible in the garage. Holm's assigned space is in a high-traffic area.

The red bumper sticker contains only two words in white - the f-word followed by "war."

"It shows questionable judgment," said Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence.

Schmidt and other legislative leaders said they're content to leave the issue to Alan Conroy, the Research Department's director. Conroy wouldn't comment Monday, saying the matter was a personnel issue. Neither would Holm.

But at the prompting of reporters, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius did weigh in. She said Holm shouldn't lose her job.

"I'm a big believer that free speech is alive and well and should be alive and well in and out of the Capitol," Sebelius said.

The complaint about the sticker came from House Majority Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, a former Marine. He said the language offended him.

"We have a lot of kids coming out of this building every day, and I don't think it's appropriate," Merrick said.

Also, the Research Department's staff is supposed to remain nonpolitical because it serves all legislators, regardless of party or philosophy.

Merrick said he complained about the sticker to Jeff Russell, in charge of administrative services for legislators. Russell then relayed the complaint to Conroy. Both Merrick and Russell said the majority leader never discussed a potential firing; Conroy said he has not talked to Merrick directly.

Some legislators questioned whether Holm's bumper sticker is even political.

"I think it's a stretch," said Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth. "You might be making that statement because you don't want your son or daughter to be killed in combat, you don't want to see your nation put in danger."

As for the language, Ruff said: "This is America. Say what you want."

Discussion

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20 March 2007
at 4:26 a.m.

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Kropotkin (Anonymous) says…

Let's clean up that “native” speech, Rep. “English Only” Merrick.

There's nothing wrong with an illegal war that killed 650,000 Iraqis and 3,000 young American men and women as of last year, nothing wrong with what, according to Ariel Sharon, “the leader of the Western world, valiant warrior in the battle of cultures, promised to do to bin Laden if he caught him: “I will screw him in the ass!”
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/8…

There's nothing wrong with a vice president who says, on the floor of the U.S. Senate to the senior Senator from Vermont, when as “…he was serving in his role as president of the Senate, appeared in the chamber for a photo session. A chance meeting with Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, became an argument about Cheney's ties to Halliburton Co., an international energy services corporation, and President Bush's judicial nominees. The exchange ended when Cheney offered some crass advice. 'F**k yourself,' said the man who is a heartbeat from the presidency. Leahy's spokesman, David Carle, yesterday confirmed the brief but fierce exchange. 'The vice president seemed to be taking personally the criticism that Senator Leahy and others have leveled against Halliburton's sole-source contracts in Iraq,' Carle said.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/…

I wonder what the house majority leader, the ex-Marine from Stillwell thinks about all that?
20 March 2007
at 8:28 p.m.

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jmadison (Anonymous) says…

So much for protection of our children. The governor endorses obscenities on our public roadways.
20 March 2007
at 9:15 p.m.

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sinedie (Anonymous) says…

I doubt it's bumper stickers corrupting your children; it's those other kids in school ;)

The girl should know better, I agree. What are you thinking when you're given a great opportunity to intern at the State Capitol and you slap that kind of bumper sticker on your car? Is it her right to have it? Sure. It's just really bad judgment.
21 March 2007
at 10:45 p.m.

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Porter (Anonymous) says…

parkay-
Obscenity is not protected speech? Why not? Did I miss a sentence or two in the Bill of Rights? Has Rep. Kinzer been up to his ol' mischief again?

Quit making stuff up.
24 March 2007
at 9:33 a.m.

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sujaha (Anonymous) says…

“Obscenity is not protected speech”? Tell that to Fred Phelps and his merry troupe, who make a practice of flaunting obscenity under the guise of Christianity. The reality is that the First Amendment protects even the obscene, the vile, the ill-advised, and the just-plain-stupid.
24 March 2007
at 10:59 a.m.

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crazyks (Anonymous) says…

If you think all children haven't been exposed to the “f” word as soon as they start school, you're delusional, jmadison. The kids teach all the bad, nasty words to each other. They don't need a bumper sticker to help them. I've heard kids who couldn't even read yet spouting obscenities. How'd they do that?

Kids are like little sponges. They will soak up anything and everything around them, including “bad” words. Maybe from school. Maybe from the last time you had a heated argument with your spouse. Maybe from the last time you hit your thumb with the hammer.

And then they will repeat said words. If they get a shocked, dismayed reaction, and get more attention because of it, they will continue to repeat said words, just to get the same reaction.

Kids think that's funny. Kids for some reason always think swear words are funny. I did when I was a kid. I don't know why they think they're funny, but they do.
24 March 2007
at 11:03 a.m.

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crazyks (Anonymous) says…

Oh, and I think the intern should be able to put whatever bumper sticker she wants on her car and park it anywhere she wants. It IS free speech. If you don't like the word, look away. No one is chaining your eyeballs to her bumper. Her car is her own personal property.

And it is NOT political. It mentions no party affiliation. It mentions no particular war. The word “Iraq” is not there.

Although only the politicians have made this war political. Just because it seems that the majority of people who are in favor of the war in Iraq are Republicans doesn't mean there aren't Republicans who are against it. It also doesn't mean there aren't Democrats who are in favor of the war in Iraq.

24 March 2007
at 12:05 p.m.

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crazyks (Anonymous) says…

Well, now, that might be considered political, since it would mention a particular person or candidate…

But it wouldn't bother me in the least. People are entitled to their opinions. If the politicians can't take the heat, then they're in the wrong damn business.