Ridin' in Style

Posted: Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:30 PM by Countdown

This is interesting.

From USA Today's OnDeadline Blog

OK: Oklahoma license plate touts terror fight

For Sooners looking to show their terror-fighting pride while tearing up the asphalt, the Oklahoma Tax Commission has extended the deadline to order the global war on terrorism license plate (aka GWOT) pictured here.

Officials had set a May 31 deadline for the $37 vanity plate (just one of 145 specialty plates the state offers), but the order form is still up, and that's attracted eyeballs from Reddit, Digg and Wired.

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Comments

Oh My God! What next? "Global War On Terrorism" sponsored NASCAR? "Git 'er done".

LA, Seattle (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:39 PM)

And will any of this tag's revenue actually apply to the "Global War on Terrorism", or is it just another "Hey! Lookit me! I'm a PAY-TREE-OTT!" feel-good moment for the non-sacrificing bumpersticker sloganeers?

Niels, feeling cynical down on Bayou DeGradeabelle, Post-Katrina MS (Sent Thursday, August 02, 2007 11:45 PM)

One State motto is "Live Free or Die" its on their regular plates. Big deal.

Wayne, TN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 12:03 AM)

You have got to be joking! I thought Indiana had corny plates, silly me.

MK, Indianapolis (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 12:15 AM)

Looks like an Eagle with a mullet if you stand back far enough.

B.A. Buddusky (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 1:21 AM)

That is so awesome I can't believe it. I thought you'd snipped something from The Onion.

30 years from now hipsters will be paying a fortune for these on whatever replaces eBay.

Dave, Bellingham WA (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 1:24 AM)

So you guys are against fighting terrorists? What's the deal?

James, San Diego, CA (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 1:26 AM)

(Big Sigh) First we have the crazy Senator Inhofe and now this. I have to let everyone know on this site that far from everyone is a "Redneck" in Oklahoma. There are several well educated people here but we have a bad rap for reasons like the license plate and our Senator but for the most part, Us Oklahomans are not crazy, redneck, gun-toting people.

Nic, Tulsa, Okla. (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 1:45 AM)

Its not easy to do the Eagle justice with a line drawing.
Heres an odd looking breed of Eagle.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Harpy_Eagle2.JPG

They've been said to be capable of decapitating a human being when they strike at top speed.

Benjamin Franklin thought the Turkey should be the national bird because its almost unique to the Americas. I've heard they have Turkeys in some middle eastern countries but they may not be native to the region.

The ald Eagle isn't known for attacking humans but I know a guy who was ripped up by one when a reporter snapped a photo of him holding it on his arm, the flash bulb startled it.
The eagles Talons penetrated a welders glove and an arm wrap of 14 once leather and his jaket the claws met in his arm between the radial and ulnar bones. The Eagle struck at his face but he dodged and its beak tore a huge furrow in his chest ripping through jacket sweater and all.
The bird immediately calmed down and acted like nothing had happened.

Wayne, TN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 2:03 AM)

I'm no longer proud to be an Okie from Muskogee.

T. Brooks, OK (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 2:06 AM)

What's so interesting about it? It's stupid.

R. Northern California (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 3:07 AM)

Tennessee has some wacky specialty plates
http://www.tennessee.gov/revenue/vehicle/licenseplates/misc/miscdesc.htm#automobile

The fish is just plain weird.
The Cat playing a saxophone is pretty neat, but I like the black bear best.

"So you guys are against fighting terrorists? What's the deal?
James, San Diego, CA
"
Probably their reason, but the more I look at that plate the less I like it.
Eagles look best in profile. The Computer generated camo design just doesn't look right on a plate and the colors are sort of garish, more like a comic book. Of course the images wouldn't be visible at any distance otherwise.

Wayne, TN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 3:50 AM)

Hey James.... we fight terrorist everyday. The biggest terrorists in the world: US imperialist Corporations and their treasonous political lackeys Bush and Cheney. Nothing like a good old fashion resource seizing occupation war to boost corporate profits at tax payer expense.

Chris Sacramento Ca. (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 3:58 AM)

That looks better than a bumper sticker I wonder if Jonny Edwards would approve of the license plate for his limmo in Okalahoma?

Bud Wizer Bushgardens, Tx (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 4:45 AM)

Synical maybe - When I scrolled to view the image, my first reaction was; I wonder if they are carrying huge weaponry, as well... Thinking - mulling over the issue; Will this be the beginning of a new 'gun-toting' society? Yes, I know there are laws...

RudeRo, Hesperia, CA (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 6:30 AM)

Nothing wrong with being patriotic I guess

K. Collins, USN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 7:41 AM)

Wars against improper nouns have an inherent problem. How do you know when you've won? We can't exactly sit down with representatives of Terrorism on the deck of the USS Missouri and accept their surrender. The war on drugs has been raging now for 40 years, and judging by the #2 segment on Countdown we're losing that one. The war against Terrorism will be around as long as there are Islamic radicals who hate us. That's not going away in my lifetime. License plates, mugs and action figures won't make it go away.

Terry Ballard, Merrick, New York (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 7:43 AM)

No James, we're not against fighting terrorists.....I'm pretty sure some will aagree with me in saying we're against whoring the sanctity of 9/11 to put a few dollars into the state coffers.

Sherri, Charleston WV (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 7:51 AM)

"I'm proud to be an okie from Muskogee"- Merle Haggard.

MK- I used to think the 'In God We Trust' plate was a crock, until I realized it doesn't say WHO'S God it is we are trusting..

Buzz (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 8:34 AM)

I guess this is no different than those yahoos who thinking that putting flags on their cars makes them patriotic, but I find the use of the image of the World Trade Center offensive.

And given the thought process, a picture of Yosemite Sam would be more fitting.

DebbieG, NYC (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 8:36 AM)

After last nights show, I think I'd rather have a "Hoof Hearted" license plate.

Scott Copeland, Naples, Florida (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 8:38 AM)

Love it. Really cool.

Anti-Establishment, My State of Mind (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 8:51 AM)

Right James, we are all against "fighting terrorists". Can you seriously believe that?

Putting a stupid slogan on a license plate does not give anyone the leg up on being a patriot. Am I to believe, as the plate would tell me, that ONLY people who have that plate are active in the "global war on terrorism"? Or maybe the people that don't have that plate are agaisnt the "global war on terrorism"? This war is not just a catch phrase, it is real. We don't need a slogan, or a rally cry to unite us against the terrorists that harmed us. We just need to go get the right ones, and (hint) they never were in Iraq.

So buy your plates and ribbons for your bumpers and feel smug that you support the war and we all apparently don't. I just lost my rose colored glasses about 3 years ago and I haven't seen things quite the same since then.

MK Indianapolis (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 8:53 AM)

Good morning. The more I kept thinking about this story, the more it bothered me. I'm all for "fighing terrorists" as long as it's the "right" terrorists, which our administration hasn't done no matter how much they try to claim they have. Sorry; I digress.

Number 1, a state that had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 is trying to increase its state coffers by putting it on a license plate?!

Number 2, Oklahoma DID have its own terrible tragic criminal terrorist attack with the Murrah building and Tim McVeigh. If Oklahoma wanted to exploit a terrorist attack to put on a plate, why didn't they exploit their own? Would that have been in poor taste? Does the fact that the Oklahoma City attack was a purely domestic incident done by a crack pot right-winger kind of muck up the works? This plate just seems wrong on many levels.

Niels, I second, third, fourth, and then some of your cynicism.

Krista Swisher, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 9:22 AM)

Scott (8:38 am post), wasn't that the greatest?! I mentioned in the thread for last night's show that I laughed my totally juvenile proverbial behind off. You have to say it really fast to get the "full effect" (Hee-Hee!!). ;)

Krista Swisher, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 9:48 AM)

"Putting a stupid slogan on a license plate does not give anyone the leg up on being a patriot. Am I to believe, as the plate would tell me, that ONLY people who have that plate are active in the "global war on terrorism"? Or maybe the people that don't have that plate are agaisnt the "global war on terrorism"? This war is not just a catch phrase, it is real. We don't need a slogan, or a rally cry to unite us against the terrorists that harmed us. We just need to go get the right ones, and (hint) they never were in Iraq.

So buy your plates and ribbons for your bumpers and feel smug that you support the war and we all apparently don't. I just lost my rose colored glasses about 3 years ago and I haven't seen things quite the same since then."

Bravo, MK, bravo! I was going to formulate a response to James, but you sure beat me to it.

It's no fun living in the Ribbon Nation.

Flipkid, Blue State (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 9:50 AM)

It stirks me, that a city that was the target of the largest act of domestic violence ever in this country, with a building that should act as a symbol to refocus inward, that these threats themselves still omonuosly remain viable, and that our cities inside our borders still remain in jeopardy, both to domestic and foreign terrorists, either in or out of the country, that we appear unprepared for both man-made and natural disasters, that the state of Oklahoma would place a image of buildings for another state, and use phrases pushing your view outward and away, to an ethereal "global" threat of a nefarious al queda, versus the unknown but is quantified and daily defined as "sleeper cells" and "border threats" and that we need domestic spying, we once again attempts are being made to take the publics' eye off the ball. Unless it is their intent to skew perceptions that all terrorism is connected, so let's put the constitution on hold, and go completly big brother globally until all terrorism of any kind is stamped out, because any terrorism anywher is eternally a threat to democracy everywhere.
Let alone that the world is going to h-ll in a handbasket, why not?

rad mos (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:02 AM)

new book needed following What's the matter with Kansas. Oklahoma may need a write-up. and impugning the patriotism of those who disagree with the rightwing whacko line of thought - How effin clever. Sigh. they were doing that in the civil war time. they did it again in vietnam. Try a new song. that one's worn out. Never let it be said that the 'my country right or wrong' folks were singularly creative. they just seem to shout over the rest of us. It gets tiresome. and besides -- its a free country, for the time being, and we're entitled to an opinion. how happy will YOU be when they come to take away our freedom of speech??

Barbinalbanyny (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:12 AM)

No - I am not against fighting terrorists, but having this on your car does not make you any more patriotic than having a yellow ribbon magnet on your car to support the troops means you support the troops more than someone who does not.

Spouting sayings or having them on your car like "Support the troops" and "fighting them there so we don't have to fight them here" and "...then the terrorists will win" are talking points from this administration that, as a big majority of this country knows, are just that - talking points. Supporting the troops doesn't mean that we send them to a unjustified war to die and without the needed equipment and then little or no medical help when they return wounded. "Fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them here" is just plain stupid and wrong because the "over there" they are talking about is Iraq and we all know that those who attacked us are in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and even if we are over in those countries as well, we will more than likely still be attacked because all of our resources are "over there" and not "over here". And "...then the terrorists will win," is also idiotic because they use that for everything. My son and husband who are in the military have begun to use that for everything. "If we don't get the ice cream delivered here to the base, then the terrorists will win." They are smart enough to know how idiotic that phrase is. Fear and stupid talking points has always been this administration's weapon and finally most of this country is seeing it for what it is.

LA, Seattle (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:15 AM)

This is just plain wrong on so many levels, I can't even begin. One State trying to make money on another state's tragedy?

And the 'right' all jumped on John Edwards! Where's the right's disgust now, when the "War on Terror" has been relegated to a license plate!

And Wayne, your description of the damage done to the half wit who posed with it (was that you Wayne), was just plain disgusting -- and no, Wayne no one here really cares what you think.

Carol, Long Valley NJ (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:25 AM)

When you&#8217;re riding around in your truck, how best can you show your support for the war on terror? When bumper stickers and flags aren&#8217;t enough, Oklahoma gives you the Global War On Terror vanity plate. See this post from The

Nick's Blog (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:28 AM)

Wayne, Is there anything you are not an expert on?

When you responded to James who had asked if we were "against fighting terrorists" and said "probably their reason" you spoke in error about me. In can tell you this with authority, you are not an expert on me. Do not ever speak for me again.

MK Indianapolis (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:36 AM)

It does leave the possibility for some AWESOME protest plates! Just spin the concept around by having custom letters for the license plate such as:

"IMMORAL", "UNJUST", "WRONG", "BUSHS", "NECONS"

State sponsored bumper stickers. I wonder if the DMV would clear it?

Mark, San Jose CA (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 10:56 AM)

Don't feel bad, Nic (1:45 am post). I was going through "Indiana pains" earlier this week. I've got Dan Quayle to be proud (???!!! *&^$%@?!) of, for goodness sake! Every state has their "malcontents"; they do not reflect upon EVERYONE in the state.

Actually, and this is going to sound throughly trite, one of my best friends is from Oklahoma!

Krista Swisher, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:01 AM)

"I guess this is no different than those yahoos who thinking that putting flags on their cars makes them patriotic, but I find the use of the image of the World Trade Center offensive.

DebbieG, NYC
"
"we fight terrorist everyday. The biggest terrorists in the world: US imperialist Corporations and their treasonous political lackeys Bush and Cheney. Nothing like a good old fashion resource seizing occupation war to boost corporate profits at tax payer expense.

Chris Sacramento Ca
"
" Oklahoma DID have its own terrible tragic criminal terrorist attack with the Murrah building and Tim McVeigh. If Oklahoma wanted to exploit a terrorist attack to put on a plate, why didn't they exploit their own? Would that have been in poor taste? Does the fact that the Oklahoma City attack was a purely domestic incident done by a crack pot right-winger kind of muck up the works?
Krista Swisher, Indianapolis, IN
"

"We just need to go get the right ones, and (hint) they never were in Iraq.
MK Indianapolis
"
Nice collection of Jihadist sentiments, reminds me of the Stockholm Syndrome.
Captured Al-Qu'ida operatives as far back as 204 confirmed that Al-Qu'ida was in Iraq prewar and actively setting up cells. Ansar al-Islam, an al-Qu'ida funded and staffed affiliate was in full bloom in Northern Iraq.
Timothy McViegh like most of his ilk were if anything pro Saddam just as Fred Phelps and his nutcase cult are.
Did any of you comment on the suggestion of digging up stock footage of the flag drapped coffins of our dead as propaganda?
I guess flag waving is niave while Flag Burning is all the rage these days.

Wayne, TN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:20 AM)

This plate will be used the same way the right uses the stupid yellow "support the troops" stickers. The people who buy them will think they are doing something when in actuality they are doing nothing. They will use the plates as some sort of proof liberals are in favor of terrorism. Krista is completely right if Oklahoma is going to have a war on terror plate it should be about the terrorist attack on them in Oklahoma City and the proceeds should go to those victims not the state.
But with a Senators like James ( global warming is a conspiracy to increase the weather channels ratings) Inhofe I don't really expect anything from Oklahoma to make a lot of sense

jen,il (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:31 AM)

I was not aware Halliburton bought the DMV before making plams to flee to Dubai!!

Pam Bignardi, San Pedro, California (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:34 AM)

My license plates feature the logo of where I attended college- and the extra fees I pay go towards scholarship funding.

Hopefully the extra fees in this case go towards a cause that really supports our troops like the USO, or other military family support causes. As long as that's the case, I have no objection.

Joe; Seattle, WA (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:37 AM)

I live in Oklahoma and I have never seen one of these. I guess they must not sell that well. As for us using our own tragedy, please, that is about the most infantile, juvenile crap I have ever heard.

Mary, Oklahoma (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:39 AM)

Blah, Blah, Blah....let's complain about the plate all you blind liberal fanatics and let's complain you blind conservative fanatics about the liberals complaining about the plate..gghheezzzzzzz!!!! You are all so sucked into your side of the establishment it makes one's eyes water with sorrow for you.

Anti-Establishment, My Own State of Mind (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:49 AM)

Leave it to Oklahoma to put the GLOBAL WAR into GLOBAL WARMING.

MaryS, Poway, Calif. (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:54 AM)

I just knew that this slogan-toting bunch would reduce terrorism to a bumper sticker ..... actually, license plate. It's a must have for those who are desparately trying to peel the Bush/Cheney bumper stickers off their cars.

BTW - all of these vanity license plates are making things more difficult for law enforcement. When identifying a license plate number you not only need the number, but the issuing state to correctly identify a vehicle in a crime situation. Oklahoma has 145 other vanity plates? And people with plates from other states and their issued vanity plates driving there too? Good luck with those identifications.

Sue, West Allis, Wisconsin (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 11:55 AM)

The OK plate is simply ugly and I agree that using the towers is plain wrong.

I've seen several plate frames on Prii (plural of Prius) which state they're fighting terrorism by using less oil. Just haven't found the right tone for mine.

Here in Indiana the "In God We Trust" vanity plate is free, whilst you have to pay for any of the others. I shelled out $45 extra bucks for my Colts plate.

I love this forum and, of course, Keith and the show.

It's nice to see posts by Krista and MK and know we may slowly be making this state purple!

Lisa T, Indianapolis, IN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 12:04 PM)

I would like to propose a much more important and timely addition to the Oklahoma licence plate designs: How about "Protect the Bill of Rights; they're not just suggestions". Of course most Repugnicans would argue that attempting to protect the Constitution is for sissys who listen to the Liberal media bias.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Clay Gordon, Jupiter, FL (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 12:27 PM)

Krista, you ought to be proud of Rep. Steve Buyer.R,Ind. Quit acting like spoiled children

Larry Charleston, SC (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 12:27 PM)

"And Wayne, your description of the damage done to the half wit who posed with it (was that you Wayne), was just plain disgusting -- and no, Wayne no one here really cares what you think.
Carol, Long Valley NJ
"
The "Halfwit" you disparage is a Biology professor with an alphabet of honors after his name, he was asked by the fish and game dept to care for the Eagle as it recovered from a gunshot wound because he is an authority on birds. He raises endangered species of birds for release in the wild.
I'm sure if he'd known the camera man was intending to use a flash rather than the highspeed film any one familar with birds would have used the incident might not have happened.

Wayne, TN (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 12:56 PM)

Does this mean that Oklahomans scary easy? Or being used?

Simpliticus (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 1:25 PM)

Of course the liberal's preferred license plate would read something like "we surrender", or “Global war on Jesus”, or “terrorists have rights too”.

scott henderson nv (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 1:58 PM)

Well, I usually don't complain knowing the Countdown staff is most likely very busy but if they are going to have a Blog in order to allow people to make comments and share ideas, thoughts and opinions they need to devote a little more time if possible to updating their blog. Otherwise they might as well not have a blog.

C A, Tuscaloosa, Al (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 2:07 PM)

Since this is an Oklahoma plate, it should really be the Murrah building instead of the WTC.

Oh, wait, McVeigh wasn't _that_ kind of terrorist, was he?

Mike Walsh, Chicago, IL (Sent Friday, August 03, 2007 2:24 PM)

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