Texas DMV Insults Veterans

Confederate License Plates
By Cory Perrin
11/11/2011

Confederate License Plates – The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has put the brakes on a proposal by the Sons of Confederate Veterans to offer drivers in the Lone Star State a specialty state license plate that would feature the Confederate flag.

The department’s board of directors voted 8-0 Thursday against the Sons of Confederate Veterans proposal.

“We are pleased the Texas DMV unanimously voted to reject the Confederate flag license plate … ,” says Matt Glazer, executive director of Progress Texas, a nonprofit communications organization. “We extend our gratitude to all the elected officials and citizens of Texas who spoke out against this racist relic, especially the nearly 30,000 Texans who signed our petition against the Confederate flag plate.”

However, this may not be over.

“The Sons of Confederate Veterans have already said they are preparing to file a lawsuit, which means our members will continue the fight to ensure the state of Texas does not allow (the Confederate flag) to appear on our license plates.”

“We are very disappointed,” says Michael Givens, commander and chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, about the outcome of the board vote. “The Confederate flag represents people who fought in battle.”

Givens says his organization plans to file a lawsuit in an effort to get the specialty plate design approved for Texas motorists. He adds that the Sons of Confederate Veterans has filed and won similar lawsuits in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, believes Texas DMV board members made the right call. In fact, she says it’s “unfortunate” that the board had to vote on the issue at all — especially on the eve of Veterans Day.

W. Scott Bailey covers health care, tourism, sports business, economic development; he also plans and edits some special reports.

http://www.newsoxy.com/politics/confederate-license-plates-36926.html