Make it so, Number One

WINNIPEG—Manitoba Public Insurance has revoked a Star Trek fan’s personalized licence plate after receiving complaints that its message — ASIMIL8 — is offensive to indigenous people.

Nick Troller has been driving around with the plate for two years.

It’s held within a Star Trek licence frame that also bears the quotes, “We are the Borg,” and “Resistance is Futile.”

Troller tells CTV Winnipeg that on his favourite show, an enemy race of aliens called the Borg travel through the galaxy trying to assimilate other cultures into their own.

He says he thought the plate was funny and notes strangers and other Trek fans have complimented him and asked to take photos with the plate.

But Troller got a phone call Wednesday from a staff member at Manitoba Public Insurance who told him two people had complained that the word “assimilate” is offensive to indigenous people.

He also received a letter from MPI on Thursday demanding he “surrender” the plate immediately, telling him he can either get a new plate or a refund on the $100 charge.

“But that’s not the point,” says Troller. “We’ve become way too sensitive. You can’t say anything anymore to anybody.”

Ry Moran, from the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, insists the word “assimilate” is too offensive to be on a licence plate.

“For basically the entirety of this country’s history, indigenous peoples have been forcibly assimilated through really extremely destructive means and ways,” he says.

“Words like that, meant or not, have an actual impact on many people.”

MPI’s policy states that “plates cannot contain a slogan that could be considered offensive.” MPI says it takes such complaints “very seriously” and will investigate why the plate was approved in the first place.

Licence plates are property of the Crown and there is no appeal process.

Troller’s situation is reminiscent of a controversy in Nova Scotia, where a man named Lorne Grabher’s personalized GRABHER plate was revoked after a complaint that it was offensive to women.

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms said earlier this month that it plans to sue the Nova Scotia government over the revocation, which it sees as an infringement on freedom of expression.

The JCCF’s John Carpay said the GRABHER licence plate revocation is part of a wider trend in Canadian society.

“Canadians are becoming increasingly less tolerant of free expression,” he said. “You have more and more people who believe that they have a legal right to go through life without seeing or without hearing things they find to be offensive.”

God Bless

Well, it WAS a cool plate.

quote:

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

That sounds downright Orwellian.

I love his last name. Sucks about his plate.

So they have snowflakes up north to, eh?

How do you say "Go fuck yourself" in Canadian?

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
How do you say "Go fuck yourself" in Canadian?

Pretty much like that?

It's Canada. For those of you that have never been there or have friends there it is a lot like California but colder in the winter.

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
How do you say "Go fuck yourself" in Canadian?

"Go fuck yourself you hoser, eh!?"

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
How do you say "Go fuck yourself" in Canadian?

"Go fuck yourself ya hoser" or "Go fuck yourself, aye."

quote:

Originally posted by 4859:

quote:

Originally posted by SevenPlusOne:
How do you say "Go fuck yourself" in Canadian?

"Go fuck yourself ya hoser" or "Go fuck yourself, aye."

I think it's the latter. After all, just remember how they decided what to name their country:

One Canadian: "Well, what are we gonna call ourselves - what will be the name of our country?"

Another Canadian: "How about... C, a?"

Yet another one: "N, a?"

And, another one: "D, a?"

just when you think that a government employee has hit rock bottom in the moron department, they break out the drilling gear

what assholes

I find government morons offensive - can we have him rejected

quote:

Originally posted by VBVAGUY:



God Bless

Nah, we're safe. Without ASIMIL8tion, how can we be doomed?

Reminds me of this scene from Canadian Bacon.
https://youtu.be/dDGkQiwh_qg

Ugh

One could argue that all license plate numbers are offensive to anyone who has been incarcerated.

HELPIII I'm being assimilated!!!

quote:

Originally posted by bobtheelf:

quote:

National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation

That sounds downright Orwellian.

It's actually much scarier than that. The name "Truth and Reconcilliation" was coined as the title of a Commission in post-Apharteid South Africa. The stated (bullshit) goal was to promote unity. It was more about (black) victims having a well-advertised forum to express their grievances while (white) perpetrators had the option of requesting amnesty in exchange for "confessing their sins" to the Commission and begging forgiveness.

The TRC has always reminded me of the Neuremburg Trials, only without the war crimes, less due process, and instead of hanging the guilty, they got set loose in the pissed off (and now even more riled up) community.

The whole thing gives me the chills.

-Rob

Oh man, that story just makes me want to Spock every 5 I see !