Man forced to surrender his 'offensive' star trek license plate

Calvin

Calvin

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A Canadian man's license plate can forget about living long and prospering.

After receiving multiple complaints, Manitoba resident Nick Troller was forced to hand over his license plate that read "ASIMIL8," a reference to the Borg, a popular alien race from Star Trek.

The Borg are villainous cybernetic organisms who assimilate other societies into their own.

Manitoba Star Trek phrase license plate revoked for offensivenesshttps://t.co/7zQQPwvAkX
Complaints drive province to ban The Borg.
— TheWholeTruthXX (@TheWholeTruthXX) April 28, 2017

The phrases "we are the Borg" and "resistance is futile" are printed on the license plate's frame.

Troller told CTV Winnipeg that he received a call from someone at the Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) office who told him that two people called the MPI and complained that his license plate was "offensive" to minorities. Troller also stated that he received a letter telling him to immediately "surrender" the license plate.


"We've become way too sensitive," Troller said. "You can't say anything anymore to anybody."

Ry Moran of the Canadian National Center for Truth and Reconciliation disagrees.

"For basically the entirety of this country's history, indigenous peoples have been forcibly assimilated through really extremely destructive means and ways," Moran said. "Words like that, meant or not, have an actual impact on many people."

However, many internet users believe the MPI's decision was highly illogical.

ASIMIL8 (e.g. Borg) license plate in Canada offends some.
Offensive, or cool?https://t.co/oSrfnXHOZi

— Corey Young (@C_M_Young) April 28, 2017

"THESE ARE THE CRAZY YEARS: Star Trek Fan Forced to Surrender ‘ASIMIL8’ License Plate for Being Offensive https://t.co/YmiOM00S1q

— #NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) April 30, 2017
Another forbidden-license-plate story: https://t.co/SfY2mp8jnA
Next, someone will be offended by a serial-number plate.

— Matthew Skala (@mattskala) April 28, 2017

Unfortunately for Troller, the MPI's decision is not something that can be appealed

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/...ffensive-Star-Trek-11110176.php#photo-4265055
 
Calvin said:
image.jpg


A Canadian man's license plate can forget about living long and prospering.

After receiving multiple complaints, Manitoba resident Nick Troller was forced to hand over his license plate that read "ASIMIL8," a reference to the Borg, a popular alien race from Star Trek.

The Borg are villainous cybernetic organisms who assimilate other societies into their own.

Manitoba Star Trek phrase license plate revoked for offensivenesshttps://t.co/7zQQPwvAkX
Complaints drive province to ban The Borg.
— TheWholeTruthXX (@TheWholeTruthXX) April 28, 2017

The phrases "we are the Borg" and "resistance is futile" are printed on the license plate's frame.

Troller told CTV Winnipeg that he received a call from someone at the Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) office who told him that two people called the MPI and complained that his license plate was "offensive" to minorities. Troller also stated that he received a letter telling him to immediately "surrender" the license plate.


"We've become way too sensitive," Troller said. "You can't say anything anymore to anybody."

Ry Moran of the Canadian National Center for Truth and Reconciliation disagrees.

"For basically the entirety of this country's history, indigenous peoples have been forcibly assimilated through really extremely destructive means and ways," Moran said. "Words like that, meant or not, have an actual impact on many people."

However, many internet users believe the MPI's decision was highly illogical.

ASIMIL8 (e.g. Borg) license plate in Canada offends some.
Offensive, or cool?https://t.co/oSrfnXHOZi

— Corey Young (@C_M_Young) April 28, 2017

"THESE ARE THE CRAZY YEARS: Star Trek Fan Forced to Surrender ‘ASIMIL8’ License Plate for Being Offensive https://t.co/YmiOM00S1q

— #NahBabyNah (@NahBabyNah) April 30, 2017
Another forbidden-license-plate story: https://t.co/SfY2mp8jnA
Next, someone will be offended by a serial-number plate.

— Matthew Skala (@mattskala) April 28, 2017

Unfortunately for Troller, the MPI's decision is not something that can be appealed

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/...ffensive-Star-Trek-11110176.php#photo-4265055
Click to expand...
"Canadian National Center for Truth and Reconciliation" sounds very Orwellian.

Disappointing for Trekkers.
 
Was Troller a member of a white supremacist group or just a Star Trek fanatic? I think the MPI should of at least done some investigation into his reason for having the plate in the first place rather than just sending a letter telling him he had to surrender the plate. In his case I guess "resistance is in fact futile!"
 
I suppose nowadays, people can't express something of their favorite because someone gets offended. Perhaps those who is not a fan of Star Trek gets offended by this term.

The article said the MPI contacted Troller to surrender after receiving only two complaints of offensive license plate. I guess they do not want to hear any more complaints and have the owner surrender it.

A bit history of the resistance is futile from wiki:


Individual Borg rarely speak, though they do send a collective audio message to their targets, stating that "resistance is futile", generally followed by a declaration that the target in question will be assimilated and its "biological and technological distinctiveness" will be added to their own. The exact phrasing varies and evolves over the various series episodes and film. One phrase, from TNG, is:

"We are the Borg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."

The complete phrase used in Star Trek: First Contact, as performed by Jeff Coopwood[3] is:

"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

The phrase "resistance is futile" became prevalent in popular culture from its use in the television show.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borg_(Star_Trek)
 
In California, if you get a letter saying that you have to surrender your vanity plate you can contest it.

[ Whenever the department orders any person to return any such environmental license plate containing any combination of letters or numbers, or both , which the department determines carries connotations offensive to good taste and decency or which would be misleading. the person so ordered may, in writing and within 10 days after rece1ving the order, demand a hearing, which shall be granted. CA DMV]
 
I guess the complainers didn't see the license plate frame-- either that or they had no clue that the plate itself and the frame were actually connected. I've seen similar where someone would have a plate and frame to equal some popular saying or phrase.

Good lord...nuts that they even capitulated to just 2 complaints...
 
DeafDucky said:
I guess the complainers didn't see the license plate frame-- either that or they had no clue that the plate itself and the frame were actually connected. I've seen similar where someone would have a plate and frame to equal some popular saying or phrase.

Good lord...nuts that they even capitulated to just 2 complaints...
Click to expand...

I guess in Canada or maybe just Manitoba, they don't want to offend anyone, so maybe the threshold is even one.
 
This scares me a little. I recently saw a license plate that read "MTHRFCKR". (I live in Canada). I find it hard to believe that ASIMIL8 is more offensive than that! Sheesh!
 
KerBear said:
This scares me a little. I recently saw a license plate that read "MTHRFCKR". (I live in Canada). I find it hard to believe that ASIMIL8 is more offensive than that! Sheesh!
Click to expand...

Kerry, The second person has not notified the MPI that the MTHRFCKR plate is offensive yet! Or the person holding the plate is the person running the MPI and just roundfiles all the complaints he/she gets about the plate.
 
More likely the complainers were not knowing Borg at all. More like, See My Ass I Am Late as the driver dodges and weaves through traffic. Competitors don't want to see anyone's ass, grrr.
 
KerBear said:
This scares me a little. I recently saw a license plate that read "MTHRFCKR". (I live in Canada). I find it hard to believe that ASIMIL8 is more offensive than that! Sheesh!
Click to expand...
Did you call and complain? That's what matters.
 
Calvin said:
I suppose nowadays, people can't express something of their favorite because someone gets offended. Perhaps those who is not a fan of Star Trek gets offended by this term.

The article said the MPI contacted Troller to surrender after receiving only two complaints of offensive license plate. I guess they do not want to hear any more complaints and have the owner surrender it.

A bit history of the resistance is futile from wiki:]

...Believe it or not, the phrase 'resistance is futile' existed long before writers included it in the Borg announcement. It does not actually belong to anyone.

I can understand why some Indigenous individuals might feel a stab of horror at seeing this plate. It could even ruin my day on the wrong day. Still, this is a multi-cultural society (Canada) and allowing a government office to demand the surrender of a vanity plate because 2 people complained... ! Two! That's just silly and I expect if anyone explained to those 2 complainers what significance the plate owner attached to ASIMIL8, that in a few days they'd be 'over it.'
Click to expand...
 
sonocativo said:
Did you call and complain? That's what matters.
Click to expand...

No, I didn't. Personally, I do find that kind of language offensive, but I realize that not everyone feels the same way. For me, it's not worth initiating a formal complaint. Thankfully my kids are too young to get what the plate meant when they saw it!
 
KerBear said:
No, I didn't. Personally, I do find that kind of language offensive, but I realize that not everyone feels the same way. For me, it's not worth initiating a formal complaint. Thankfully my kids are too young to get what the plate meant when they saw it!
Click to expand...
Maybe it wasn't cursing.... ever thought that his woman had kids? lol
 
I had a plate on the front of my car that said ..."Ain't Life a Bitch?"...never got any complaints, just a few stares, mostly a lot of laughs....until one day a friend invited me to her Church and we took my car...LOL....Finally "retired" the plate, it's on my Patio.
 
That's too funny. I would not have even thought of that. Kinda the same as I have 2 tats, and they're both on my back, so I often forget they are even there. :)
 
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