“….February 9, 1776
Col. Gadsden presented to the Congress an elegant standard, such as is to be used by the commander in chief of the American navy, being a yellow field, with a lively representation of a rattlesnake in the middle in the attitude of going to strike and these words underneath, ‘Don’t tread on me.’
Ordered, that the said standard be carefully preserved and suspended in the Congress room….”
The flag of the United States, Frederick Cocks Hicks, Government Printing Office, 1918, 40 pages.
A bill, introduced yesterday by Representative Chuck Gatschenberger (r):
HOUSE BILL NO. 1141
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLYINTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES GATSCHENBERGER (Sponsor), BAHR AND KORMAN (Co-sponsors).
4675L.03I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To repeal section 301.3163, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the Don’t Tread on Me license plate.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 301.3163, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 301.3163, to read as follows:
301.3163. Any person may apply for [special] specialty personalized “Don’t Tread on Me” motor vehicle license plates for any vehicle such person owns, either solely or jointly, other than an apportioned motor vehicle or a commercial motor vehicle licensed in excess of eighteen thousand pounds gross weight. Such person shall make application for the [special] specialty personalized license plates on a form provided by the director of revenue. The director shall then issue specialty personalized license plates bearing letters or numbers or a combination thereof as determined by the [advisory committee established in section 301.129] director, with the words “DON’T TREAD ON ME” [in place of the words “SHOW-ME STATE”] centered on the bottom one-fourth of the plate, in bold, all capital letters, and with lettering identical to the lettering used for the word “MISSOURI” on the regular state license plate. Such words shall be no smaller than forty-eight point type. Such plates shall be tiger yellow beginning at the top and bottom, with the color fading into white in the center. All numbers and letters shall be black. The left side shall contain a reproduction of the “Gadsen Snake” in black and white, with the snake to be three inches in height and two inches wide, and sitting on green grass that is two and one-quarter inches wide. Upon payment of a fifteen dollar fee in addition to the regular registration fees, and presentation of any documents which may be required by law, the director of revenue shall issue to the vehicle owner a specialty personalized plate. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 301.144, no additional fee shall be charged for the personalization of license plates issued under this section. Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130.
[emphasis in original]
“…The left side shall contain a reproduction of the ‘Gadsen [sic] Snake’ in black and white…”
Is that a typo? Just asking.
We made the same mistake once, just not in symbolic legislation.
They could have the same snappy accessory for their car:
At the healthcare town hall in Hillsboro, Missouri, August 11, 2009.
And pay the state for the privilege, maybe without any sense of the irony (from a year ago):
….You’ve got to wonder, if they have to pay an extra fee for the privilege, about the irony of paying more money to the state to ostensibly protest the state having more of your money….
….Dudes, do you really think this is a good idea? When the black helicopters land they’re gonna know who to pick up first….
Heh.