Georgia Republican: Nobody Should Need A Driver's License

[meegbear]

Republican Georgia state legislator Bobby Franklin thinks that driver's licenses impose undue restrictions on the right of citizens to travel. So he's proposed legislation to stop the state from issuing them.

"Free people have a common law and constitutional right to travel on the roads and highways that are provided by their government for that purpose," Franklin's legislation states. "Licensing of drivers cannot be required of free people, because taking on the restrictions of a license requires the surrender of an inalienable right."

In an interview with CBS Atlanta News, Franklin claimed driver's licenses are a throw back to oppressive times.

"Agents of the state demanding your papers," he said. "We're getting that way here."

He said there wasn't a reason for people to need to know who was whom on the roads, and that there's nothing in place to stop children from driving anyways.

<snip>

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/02/georgia_republican_nobody_should_need_a_drivers_license.php?ref=fpblt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. And Drunks should be permitted to drive!

State laws against driving under the influence are a communist plot to take over the country with ridiculous nanny laws!

[smirkymonkey]

16. With Automatic Weapons!!

[JHB]

2. Nobody needs one -- to drive on private roads.

If you don't want gummint papers taking you inalienable right to drive, just stay off the commie gummint roads.

[asjr]

3. I am now convinced that some time

ago the body snatchers took over when we were not looking.

[The Doctor.]

17. Oh, terribly sorry...

We'll be right over.

[Erose999]

4. Same guy wants to re-word the state constitution to make Ga a theocracy and re-define rape victims

as "accusers". and he's not some Tea-Party freshman, he's been in office for over a decade.

GA is red state hell, and Cobb county is the Devil's throne.

[JHB]

5. Must be using one of Newt's leftover playbooks....

Newt Gingrich's district was in or included Cobb County, GA.

Newt's MO was to say anything -- Anything -- that would get a rise out of his crowd and send them stampeding in his desired direction while picking their pockets.

[Jim__]

6. I wonder who had a hard time passing his driving test. - n/t

[Canuckistanian]

7. Where the hell do these morons come from?

And how do they manage to function in sane society long enough to get elected?

[toddwv]

11. Where do they come from? I'll give you a hint...

From Wiki:

Representative Franklin is a graduate of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Ga., where he received a degree in Biblical studies and business administration.<1> He and his wife, Pat, have been married for over 27 years. They have three children, and are active members of Chalcedon Presbyterian Church in Cumming, Georgia.

Franklin is a fierce opponent of abortion and gay rights. Franklin holds that America has strayed from its Christian past and the country needs to be changed into a Christian nation. Franklin belies that legislation that is in direct opposition to God's word will bring about the wrath of God. In 2010, Franklin state, "Islamic terrorism is not the greatest threat facing America. God is."<11> Franklin claims that President George W. Bush "praises the gods of pagan religions."<12>

So it's an even bet that when he says "free people", he means white, male and Christian. Everyone with skin darker than a "daily round of golf" glow would, naturally, be required to show their papers every few miles or so.

[Erose999]

18. Cobb County, GA

Home of Newt Gingrich, Bobb Barr, Lockheed-Martin, numerous NASCAR drivers/country music stars/professional wrestlers, etc etc

Here's some relevant background reading on Cobb:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selman_v._Cobb_County_School_District

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kennesaw,_Georgia#Gun_law

[KamaAina]

19. Ah yes, dear old Cobb.

The county that blew a chance to host the 1996 Olympic volleyball tournament because it had just passed some ridiculous over-the-top homophobic ordinance. The county that to this day has not joined MARTA, the regional transit agency, because then "those people" from Atlanta would be able to get there. And so on, and so on, ad nauseam. :puke:

[Erose999]

22. If only I could invent a Hummer that runs on racism and burning books. I'd be the richest man in

East Cobb.

I'd buy me a McMansion on Trickum Rd. and put up a John Birch Society yard sign.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

24. pretty soon there'd be a severe shortage of racists. . .

and then what would Cobb County do?

Seek federal funding to create more?

[olegramps]

20. Maybe that is where they stick in if Georgia needs an enema.

[HopeHoops]

8. Based on the driving behaviors of most cars with GA plates, I assumed that was already the case.

No offense to DUers in GA, but DAMN I've seen some weird shit from GA drivers. I'm not talking your basic NJ asshole stuff, just "WTF?" things like signaling a left turn and then making a right. And then there's the classic 40 mph in the hammer lane of a 65 mph highway routine. Go ahead, get rid of the licenses. That should make things a LOT of fun for the fascists who want to check everyone's papers to see how many they can deport.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. Yeah...all those transplants from yankeeville are the problem

'no offense' is only said by those who write or say something very offensive. I guess the idiot on the Long Island Expressway yesterday with the NY plates that cut across three lanes of traffic to make the Hauppauge exit was from Georgia...

sP

[HopeHoops]

12. Hey, I grew up by the DC beltway and spent 10 years commuting to the Boston area. I know assholes.

I was trying to make a distinction there. I've witnessed more "asshole from hell" events than I care to remember and I'm sure those transplants are a major problem wherever they go, but that's not what I was talking about. And I used "no offense" because, yes, it was potentially offensive. But it is just as much the case that not everyone from DC, NJ, or MA is an asshole on the road as it is that not everyone from GA exhibits those "WTF?" behaviors from my previous post. Still, there are times when you witness something and experience tells you "must be from (fill in the state)" shortly before the license plate comes into view and confirms your suspicions.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

14. Sorry...particularly grumpy after nearly being run into a huge-ass pile of snow...

and you're right...we have jerks everywhere. I think the assholes from hell come about because of the mismatch of driving cultures from one place to another. I LOVE driving in NY most of the time because aggressive is fairly normal...not 100% but fairly normal. When I get home (ATL area) I get frustrated as hell at the lack of aggressive driving (and I don't mean dangerous but as an example people slowing down to merge into a freeway rather than speeding up). I think the transplants that migrate to various areas bring with them their driving preconceptions and the clashes are inevitable.

sP

[HopeHoops]

15. Actually, NY is one of the places I really don't mind the driving, especially in the city.

NY drivers tend to be aggressive, but they also tend to be rather skilled in their idiot maneuvers. The DC beltway is a good place to find random stupidity that often leads to massive backups because one moron desperately needed to be one car ahead in a clusterfuck of traffic moving at 20 mph stop-n-go.

[cordelia]

13. delete - wrong place

[Xicano]

10. Bet he doesn't feel the same way about "undue restrictions" against the smoking of Pot

Just another clueless ass-backward right-wing hypocrite.

:eyes:

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

21. I'm not so opposed to his proposition... as long as cars remain registered.

Auto registration serves a number of useful purposes

[tanyev]

23. 'Ceptin for them illegals, of course.

They need to go to a driver's license office and show birth certificates and if'n they can't, they get a one way trip back to Mexico.


He needs to re-read his GOP playbook.