Oh, HELLS No!
By Specialty license plates can be seen all over Kentucky, from Nature’s Finest, to the Masonic Order, to Transylvania University. Many want to show their support for things they care about and the non-profit organization, Sons of Confederate Veterans, is no different. The group want this so-called “rebel plate” featuring the Confederate flag, as well as Confederate president and Kentucky native Jefferson Davis, to be the next offered to drivers in the state.
“This is a message about American soldiers. These are Confederate veterans and we’re their descendants. They’re our family and we’re going to honor them,” says Don Shelton, Spokesperson for the Kentucky division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Kentucky offers dozens of specialty license plate including this breast cancer awareness one but the proposed sons of confederate plate has some people up in arms.
“Because of the history of what that stands for and what that means, and with the people in this country that would be offended by that, I think it’s very offensive. I don’t think it should be allowed,” says Bretta Hulcha.
“I wouldn’t put it on mine,” comments Aaron Means.
The Kentucky Transportation cabinet says any non-profit, like the SCV, can apply for a state-issued plate, all it has to do is pay $22,500 dollars, get 900 prepaid orders and get approval for the design. The SCV says it’s not trying to create controversy.
I appreciate that Kentucky joined the Confederacy in 1866, but in the actual war Kentucky remained part of the Union and sent more soldiers to fight for the North than for the South. Dead enders notwithstanding, 2011 isn’t exactly the time to make it more convenient for local idiots to commemorate Treason in Defense of Slavery. As has been noted in other places, Kentucky’s Confederate contingent doesn’t even have the “I fought for my state” excuse. Believing that the right of white people to own black people is worth killing for is not the kind of value that should be commemorated.