Ohio Rejects ‘H8HUNTERS’ Plate
October 23, 2012 by UPI - United Press International, Inc.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, (UPI) – An Ohio woman said she understands why the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles refused to allow her license plate to read “H8HUNTERS.”
Lucy McKernan, who describes herself as an animal rights activist, said she applied for the license plate at her local BMV office in Independence as a means of discouraging hunting in the state, but she said she understands why it was rejected by officials, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Monday.
“Hate is incendiary and I recognize that,” she said. “It was a little over the top.”
McKernan said she hopes officials in the “same state government that issues nearly a half-million hunting licenses annually” will approve her second application, for a plate reading “HUNTNOT.”
Lindsay Bohrer of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles said the Special Plates Review Committee meets daily to look over requested number and letter combinations for license plates.
“We primarily use the Internet, which gives us access to various languages websites including sites for urban slang,” she said. “We err on the side of balance between freedom of speech and limiting profanity, offensiveness or phrases that could incite lawless behavior.”
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