"Rev Jo" still a no-go - Updated: It's a Go!

Update: Thanks to my readers for letting me know that McGuinty overruled the PC Police and let the Rev Jo keep her plates:

“We can also do things that make ourselves outright laughable -- this is one of those instances.”

So I wonder how those nine civil servants feel now; knowing that their boss thinks they made a 'laughable' decision.

Christian Conservative has more with an informative Globe link. (Oh, boy. Now McGuinty is calling it an issue of "common sense". Yikes!)

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I sympathize with retired United Church minister Joanne Sorrill on this one, and it isn't just because of her terrific name. She is a victim of the Political Correctness Police (an anonymous panel of nine civil servants), which had been asked by Transportation Minister Jim Bradley to reconsider their decision to disallow the vanity plate that Sorill has held for 20 years - Rev Jo.

The Ministry's initial objections were that the plates might encourage speed or promote Christianity! (*Gasp*)

After further contemplation, they have come up with a new one - it might promote drunk driving! (Plate refusal #2 has cleric all REV'd up - Star). Gee, they totally missed the caffeine-addiction angle with the word "Jo".

Why couldn't they at least grandfather the existing plates, and then refuse to issue any new ones if this is suddenly so offensive in contemporary society?

All this craziness is well documented by Christina Blizzard this morning - I H8 Vanity Plate Censors. She closes with this:

Look, if you look hard enough, you can take offence at just about anything. But for pity's sake, let's stop this stupidity. Here's a licence plate that could sum up the entire ministry: GN BONKRS. Then again, they'd probably ban that. Too sexual in nature. How about: TOO PRISSY? Better still, try this one, then: BUTT*OUT.

I would only like to add that perhaps we should consider changing the titles of our elected officials and departments. After all, don't the words "Minister" and "Ministry" have some Christian overtones? Couldn't that be offensive to those who are Jewish, Muslim or atheist? We must change this immediately!

The Ontario Asylum of Transportation might be a good place to start.


Update: Hey! How about an acronym? ASSS - Asylum of Sentry and Street Services.

Or the previous one with the word "Greater" preceding it - GOAT. Instead of "Ministers" we could have "herders" or "tenders".



I'll bet you've got some suggestions too! Let's hear them.

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Thursday Update: Political correctness knows no borders - Santa gets the heave ho, ho, ho.

Sunday Update: Lorrie Goldstein - Licence this SOB H&R!