By Mark Rhoads -
A federal judge has ruled it is unconstitutional for North Carolina to issue pro-life license plates unless the state offers similar plates supporting abortion rights. U.S. District Court Judge James C. Fox ruled on Friday that North Carolina cannot produce or distribute the “Choose Life” plate. Judge Fox concluded, “The State’s offering of a Choose Life license plate in the absence of a pro-choice plate constitutes viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.”
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Do you see anything in that text that remotely prohibits a state from expressing a "viewpoint?" If you think the next "viewpoint" case might be to challenge the motto "In God We Trust" on US coins and paper currency, then you are likely going to be correct since that would be the next logical step. Instead of freedom of speech that the First Amendment as supposed to protect for all citizens, America is now a place where craziod left wing judges can so distort that text as to make politically incorrect speech "unconstitutional."
It is worth noting that Judge Fox is an old man of age 84 who was first appointed by President Reagan in 1982. He assumed senior status over 11 years ago in 2001 and apparently he thinks his senior status and senility gives him an unlimited license to abuse his power to curb your freedom of speech. Lifetime appointments for federal judges are an insane and anachonistic holdover from post-colonial times. It is way past time for a mandatory retirement age for very elderly federal judges regardless of their political views.
