Bumper Snicker Or Crudity? Officials Honked, But Powerless

Rudeness can’t be regulated, Coeur d’Alene legal officials have discovered.

City and county attorneys researched whether laws could be enforced to ban what they consider obscene bumper stickers. They found no such laws in effect, and determined that the First Amendment protections for free speech cover what goes on bumper stickers.

“There’s nothing we can do to keep these degenerates from flaunting their condition in public,” said County Commissioner Ron Rankin. “Unfortunately, decency isn’t politically correct.”

City and county lawyers began investigating laws covering obscene bumper stickers after Coeur d’Alene resident Tim Bell complained to both bodies about what he considered obscene decals on a neighbor’s truck.

Two stickers that phonetically spell the dirty words, and two illustrations with cartoon characters making an obscene gesture are prominently displayed in the truck’s rear window.

Local officials said they thought the displays inappropriate, but there is nothing they can do about it.

The Coeur d’Alene City Council asked Deputy City Attorney Nancy Stricklin to look into a Florida law reportedly covering vulgarity on bumper stickers.

She reported she couldn’t find such a law.