NC DMV BANS Sons of Confederate Veterans Car Tags!!! Falsely Say Legislature and NC Courts required them to do so!!! Because “some” might be offended!!! Today Car Tags are Banned, Tomorrow the Courthouse Monuments!! Eye witness report and conclusions by Robert A. Williams
Folks, I don’t know about the rest of you, but I would almost rather have a tooth root canal done on me than have to deal with the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles in Raleigh. Especially by telephone. They give you a number to call but no real person ever answers. It took me over three hours today to finally get to a real person. This is MY story.
Growing up I heard family stories about my Great, Great-Grandfather Williams being killed in the Civil War. Along with other ancestors who served in the Revolutionary War, including Kings Mountain. Many years later I took a Genealogy Course at Cleveland Community College and learned that I had many, many more ancestors that served in the Civil War. Actually, there were Williams’s or ancestors by other names, in just about every war that, what became America, had ever fought. Perhaps that is one of the main reasons I am so incensed with the corrupt workings of our government. To preserve what my ancestors believed was worth fighting and risking their lives for. Occasionally losing their lives in the process.
So, when the deranged Dylan Roof shot and killed those nine members of that Black Church in Charleston, SC in 2015, and all the “conniption fits” of divisive rhetoric that always follows such happenings, like the Confederate Battle Flag somehow physically forced the disturbed Dylan Roof to pull that trigger so many times, I decided to make my own statement too. Although I had joined the Sons of Confederate Veterans myself and had never thought it worth the extra money to purchase that customized (and LEGAL) North Carolina DMV Sons of Confederate Veterans tag, (shown below) for my vehicles. “I have a legacy too,” is my message. If that offends anybody; it’s on them, not me. I don’t complain and I don’t explain. And expect the same from others. Get on with your lives as a member of the American Community, NOT as the White community, the Black community, the Latino community or anything else that is divisive at its core.
After many renewals of those expensive NC DMV vehicle registration tags, it was time to renew again. I had not received a renewal notice and basically forgot about it until I happened to notice the expiration sticker. So, I had my truck inspected and was ready to renew on-line as I had done so many times before.
After punching up everything on my computer, I hit RENEW and was ready to pay up again for that expensive License Plate. Only this time I get a Message that says “Sorry but there are problems with this registration. Service can not continue. Please contact DMV for more information at 919-715-7000 (8-5 Mon – Fri).”
I checked everything on my end and found no “Problems” of any sort. I ran through the whole rigmarole several more times. Dreading the thought of having to call a governmental agency that is well known for bureaucratic inefficiency and a “don’t give a damn” attitude. Especially after looking at my watch and seeing it was lunchtime.
But I called anyway. And called. And Called. And called many, many times. Listening to the computer’s voice read off menus of items and departments that did not apply. Remember folks, DMV didn’t tell me what the problem was. Therefore, I began to punch up departments that I knew did not apply, hoping to get a real person on the line to transfer me to where I needed to go. Every time being told that “All representatives are with other customers, please hold for the next available representative.”
After about three hours of this, I finally reached a live person. I told her the message about a problem with my registration and how I had renewed on-line so many times before. She took my name and tag number. And within seconds she told me that the NCDMV had DISCONTINUED Sons of Confederate Veterans License Plates AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO MY LOCAL NC DMV Office, turn in my SCV tag and apply for another tag. I asked “Why?” She said “it is the rules we have to go by.” I asked her “who made those rules?” She said the “Legislature and the Courts.”
Then, I punched up google and asked for information about SCV tags being banned.
The first item on the reply was an article in the Wilmington StarNews dated February 1, 2021 titled: North Carolina DMV removes Confederate battle flag license plate. And showed the picture shown below.
Of course, I read the article thoroughly. According to that article, the NC DMV representative, surely ordered to by the higher ups, had lied to me. The NC DMV, on their own authority, said the Confederate Battle Flag might offend somebody and, therefore, the DMV was basically banning that flag from “their” License Plates. Read the article and see for yourself.
So, what did I do then? By now, you should suspect that I would dash off a message to Tim Moore, Kelly Hastings and Ted Alexander, our representatives in the General Assembly asking them to look into this matter and make things right. In fact, that is exactly what I did.
This is what my message stated:
Tim, Kelly and Ted,
After about three hours of trying to call the NC DMV about problems with the online registration renewal of my vehicle license tags, the NC Department of Motor Vehicles representative stated that the Sons of Confederate Veterans tags have been discontinued by the DMV. When I asked why, I was told that the NC General Assembly and the Courts of North Carolina had made that rule. The NC General Assembly being YOU and YOU and YOU.
Upon further investigation, I find that the DMV lied to me. That the NC DMV had banned the SCV plates because they might offend somebody.
I don’t know who was offended by MY SCV Plates, but I am offended that those expensive plates, and I have three, have been banned by a State organization.
Please inform me as soon as possible what YOU are doing to STOP the lies and independent actions of the North Carolina DMV and any other such rogue agencies.
Today car SCV tags are banned, tomorrow it will be the Confederate Monument on the Court Square that disappears.Thank you in advance for your prompt action in this matter.
Robert A. Williams
Guess what folks, I have already received a reply from Representative Kelly Hastings. Way to go Kelly!!!
Representative Hastings message stated:
Mr. Williams:
My research assistant is contacting our central staff and the liaison at the NCDMV to help determine the facts.
As you know, the General Assembly is not in charge of the day-to-day operations of the NCDMV. The NCDMV is part of the Executive Branch of North Carolina, and it is separate from the General Assembly.
Rep. Kelly Hastings
Representative Kelly Hastings is correct that the General Assembly is NOT in charge of the daily operations of the NC DMV. Democrat NC Governor Roy Cooper’s flunkies are in charge as I previously concluded. I suspect Speaker of the House Tim Moore and Senator Ted Alexander will say essentially the same thing.
At this point, I am strongly suggesting to Kelly, Tim and Ted that the General Assemble DEFUND THE NC DMV totally and until further notice. I recommend all Sons of Confederate Veterans join in with this recommendation. And watch closely what is done in this matter.
Note that I stated in my message:
Today car SCV tags are banned, tomorrow it will be the Confederate Monument on the Court Square that disappears.
In the meantime, I plan on keeping MY SCV tags as is. I will call the County tax people, pay my property taxes and keep on driving my vehicles. If I am arrested for some related offense, I will pay my jail bond, plead NOT GUILTY and demand a jury trial. Looking for a SCV member on the jury. If I am convicted, I will refuse to pay any fine and spend some time in the new $150 Million dollar luxury Cleveland County Jail, room and board at county taxpayer expense. (Unless I change my mind. Upon figuring a better approach!!)
This would be one big “hoot”, except for the fact that MY Constitutional Right to Free Speech has been infringed upon. TODAY me, tomorrow YOU!!! (Actually, Today ME, Today YOU TOO!)
