Bumper Stickers

Bumper stickers are an example of symbols that people identify themselves with and exhibit publicly in order to give themselves a sense of relevance in society. Whether it’s one’s favorite sports team, a candidate for political office, or just a view on the issues (like “I’m already against the next war”, “Your ‘choice’ takes my life” (anti-abortion), or “Your ‘heritage’ is my slavery” (against use of the Confederate flag)), they identify not only themselves, but whoever happens to be driving the vehicle as well, with that particular point of view. And that may cause others who disagree with the sticker’s message to feel uncomfortable driving that car. That is one pitfall of slapping stickers with messages on cars. There are others as well. This is supposedly a free country, with the First Amendment apparently guaranteeing freedom of speech, but I once heard a policeman say that he and his colleagues, when on patrol, would be much more likely to pull over a driver whose car carried provocative bumper stickers than one that didn’t. The reasoning was that such a car might be more likely to contain illegal controlled substances. Also, if somebody puts on a sticker trying to persuade the public to vote a certain way or adopt a certain opinion about an issue, then he or she had better drive in a competent and courteous manner, else the other annoyed drivers may just automatically lean toward the opposing point of view! I remember just before the Presidential election of 1988 being very abruptly cut off in traffic by a driver in a car which had a “Dukakis for President” sticker on its back fender. I’d already decided how I was going to vote, but if I were teetering as an undecided voter, that just might have put me over into the Bush camp (and I resented that driver, since I was supporting Dukakis, too!).

I, for one, don’t want drivers behind me to get so distracted trying to read my bumper stickers that they lose their train of concentration behind the wheel. And there are some drivers who can’t resist the temptation, once started, of plastering sticker after sticker on their car. To me, when I see a car like this, it reminds me of Ray Bradbury’s Illustrated Man, whose main character, played by Rod Steiger, was cursed with “skin illustrations” covering every square inch of his skin below his chin (except for a mysterious blank spot on his back). As for me, I have a small UF Gators decal on the back windshield, and that’s it. Personally, as long as people who want to slap stickers on their cars don’t do it to the point where it interferes with their vision as drivers, then I really couldn’t care less about the content, unless, of course it contains extremely offensive language or overtly hateful material aimed against certain groups.