One Texas motorist apparently found the perfect sticker to express certain feelings about how this past year has gone, and so it was plastered, big and bold, on the rear window of a truck.
“FUCK TRUMP AND FUCK YOU FOR VOTING FOR HIM,” the sticker declared.
It was eye-catching, to be sure, and a picture of the truck eventually made its way all the way to the desk of Fort Bend County, Texas, Sheriff Troy Nehls, who said in a Facebook post that he had received “numerous calls regarding the offensive display.”
“If you know who owns this truck or it is yours, I would like to discuss it with you. Our Prosecutor has informed us she would accept Disorderly Conduct charges regarding it, but I feel we could come to an agreement regarding a modification to it,” Nehls wrote in his message, issuing what could appear to be a thinly veiled warning.
Nehls also posted a picture of the section of Texas law that could be used in such a case.
According to SFGate, as it turns out, the woman who identified herself as the driver of the vehicle actually used to work for Nehls, a Republican contemplating a run for Congress, at the county jail.
That woman, identified as Karen Fonseca, said that the truck belongs to her husband but that she often drives it. The couple, a dedicated pair, actually had the sticker made before adding it to the window of their vehicle after the dotard was sworn into office.
And Fonseca told the news site that she is well used to the attention the sticker brings. Some people shake their heads, some take photos of the sticker, she said. Officers have pulled her over but couldn’t think of a reason to write a ticket, and now Fonseca says she basically has no time to deal with the sheriff or with anyone who wants her to alter the vehicle.
“It’s not to cause hate or animosity,” the 46-year-old said. “It’s just our freedom of speech, and we’re exercising it.”
And the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas is backing that up. Spotting Nehls’ Facebook post, the group quickly took a stance, responding to the sheriff on Facebook.
“Constitutional Law 101: You can’t ban speech just because it has ‘f@ck’ in it,” the organization posted, according to SFGate. “Hey truck owner, feel free to contact the ACLU of Texas.”
Needless to say, from there, Nehls’ post went viral, garnering more than 9,000 shares and more than 17,000 comments, with several people going back and forth about free speech.
And from there, Nehls’ office held an afternoon press conference because of “the high volume of interview requests,” and it was then that the sheriff appeared to waver and soften his words.
“We have not threatened anybody with arrest. We have not written any citations,” Nehls said, according to the Houston Chronicle. “But I think now it would be a good time to have meaningful dialogue with that person and express the concerns out there regarding the language on the truck.”
However, Nehls did stand firm that he wanted to avoid any situation where the sign on the truck could lead to an unwanted confrontation.
“I don’t want to see anything happen to anyone,” Nehls said. “With people’s ... mindset today, that’s the last thing we need, a breach of the peace.”
Read more at SFGate and the Houston Chronicle.