It's called the First Amendment!

It is happening again.


Last night I noticed my bumper sticker is missing.  It likely happened in the last 48 hours.  I know it's not a life threatening situation, but dammit, it's starting to piss me off because this is far from the first time it's happened.


The bumper sticker in question is the iconic World War II Rosie the Riveter image.  You know the blue collar woman, bandana holding her hair, arm bent to show off her biceps.   The message: Women are strong.  Only the face in this image that used to be on my car is of Hillary.  Twist on the original message.  This woman is strong.


Same thing happened last summer with the sticker supporting gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis.  One day there, next day gone.  And, a small square sticker pledging allegiance to Texas Dems vanished without a trace years ago from the back of my car.


My hunch is it is someone in my neighborhood.  Just a hunch.  Maybe the Huckabee supporters who live just a rock's throw, which I would never do by the way.  Strange their yard sign expressing love for the former Arkansas governor is never molested.   For the record, I would not do that to anyone's yard sign or bumper sticker.  It's called the First Amendment.


Or maybe it's the weirdo a few houses down who I feel sometimes is keeping his partner against her will. Why else would she be with him?  I make an extra effort every time I see her in their yard to ask, "You ok?"  Her confusion at the question just reinforces my suspicions.  He for sure would not appreciate a message about strong women.


People, including family members, have tried to tell me it's not safe to display such liberal communique in the land of faithful conservatives.  That is exactly the reason I do it. All views have value and this is America where there is freedom of expression, for crying out loud.


We red state liberals already have much practice suppressing our views in the workplace, in social settings, in public.  I don't think it's too much to ask that a person be allowed to express even an unpopular view in this most tiny of a venue, the backside of a car.  Yet, I constantly am being denied this very right every time someone steals a bumper sticker.


Free expression for me has a price, literally.  I pay for my little stickers - and always order multiples as I am NOT going to be dissuaded from exercising my right to express a view that is contrary to views held by most people I live among.


The iconic sticker with Hillary's face is back on my car, thanks to my replacement stash.  I really hope that's where it stays.