The case of the Metro Atlanta nurse and her Bush bashing bumper sticker is now going to federal court. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Denise Grier, who was stopped by a Dekalb County police officer because of her bumper sticker that combined the name Bush with an expletive. (See “McCarthyism Watch”)

“We want people to be able to have bumper stickers on their vehicles without fear of being stopped by the police,” said ACLU lawyer Gerry Weber.

In March, a police officer issued a ticket, claiming that Grier had violated a Georgia law prohibiting lewd bumper stickers.

“He said ‘you have a lewd decal on your car,’ and I said ‘I do?’” Grier said at the time. “My first thought was, one of my children had put something obscene or filthy on my car.”

According to the ACLU, Georgia’s lewd bumper sticker law was declared unconstitutional in 1991. Lawyers for the ACLU claim officers from at least four different agencies in the state have issued citations based on the law since then. Denise Grier is the first to file suit.

“We want the offense to be off the officer’s books,” says Weber.

At the Junkman’s Daughter in Little Five Points, there is a display of political bumper stickers; some of them are R-rated.

“I don’t want to be put in the position to explain to my children what that means,” says parent Fran Dundore.

Dundore and fellow parent Rose Ann Watson say it’s a sticky issue.

“You don’t want to eliminate someone’s freedom of speech,” says Dundore. “On the other hand, you don’t want your kids to be exposed to something you can’t censor.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit against Dekalb County, as well as the officer who wrote the ticket. Because it is a pending legal action, no one with Dekalb County would comment.

The suit seeks unspecified damages, claiming Grier suffered “emotional distress.”

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The Asylum Street Spankers come to Boston!

Remember that catchy tune "Stick Magnetic Ribbons on Your SUV" that I mentioned in my blog on 2 Oct '06? Yeah, the one with that really cute, sexy & bear, Wammo (photoed on the right)

Well, the The Asylum Street Spankers are currently TOURING! and will be in the Boston area (Cambridge of course!) on Thursday, 16 Nov 2006 at 20:00 at The Passim Cultural Center! For information call 617-492-5300. I, for one, am planning on seeing these guys in person!

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Today's song: The Beatles - Revolution -- The Beatles were an English rock group from Liverpool, England. They are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed musical group of all time,[1][2] continuing to be held in the highest esteem for their artistic achievements, commercial success, and influence on early rock and roll and pop music. Although their initial musical style was rooted in the sounds of 1950s Rock & Roll, the group explored a great variety of musical styles, such as rockabilly, folk, psychedelic, and Indian music. The Beatles' impact extended well beyond their music. Their clothes, hairstyles, statements, and even their choice of instruments made them trend-setters throughout the 1960s. Read more about The Beatles.