Staff Reports
The Supreme Court has made the right decision by not hearing the case of the Sons of Confederate Veterans against North Carolina. The group was arguing that the state was violating their free speech rights by discontinuing the production of Confederate flag license plates. But the lower court found that it was the state’s speech and not an individual free speech issue. It’s clear that the Court is being consistent, given that specialty plates have been considered in the past as government rather than individual speech.
It’s understandable that the veterans’ group is disappointed that their request for plates, featuring the Confederate flag, has been denied. However, the state’s decision is not unreasonable. The flag image “is offensive to good taste and decency.” The state ruled that the group may be allowed to create plates that don’t feature the flag, but it should not endorse the politics and discrimination surrounding the Confederate flag.
It should be noted that the ACLU tried to sue the state of North Carolina for not issuing a pro-choice license plate after it began to issue “Choose Life” plates. However, that case was dismissed, much like the Sons of Confederate Veterans’. In all of these cases, it is within the state’s right to not issue certain plates and to govern specialty plates with rules.
While people can still display Confederate flag stickers, flags, and other paraphernalia on their cars, banning them would be an infringement of people’s personal speech. The marketplace also seems to be shifting toward one that eschews Confederate flag items.
https://twitter.com/SpinquarkNews/status/1668815525202231298
Nevertheless, the removal of Confederate-related items from store shelves infringes on the rights of those who still wish to purchase them. Retailers like Walmart, Target, Ebay, and Apple have stopped selling such items. While it’s their prerogative to choose which products they want to carry, it’s worth considering that not making these items available is an infringement on people’s rights. And it’s understandable that those who still want to own these items will find it difficult to do so if such items are not available for purchase.
Source: Conservative Institute
