Bob's Corner
UDINK has been found “offensive” by a jury of Oregon DMV employees that reviews personalized license plates. Unfortunately for the Udink Family, of Merlin, that means the panel has ordered them to remove their plates of UDINK1, UDINK2 and UDINK3. The DMV reasoning is that “dink” could be considered sexual or an insult against Asian people.
The family was left alone until Mike & Shelly’s son, Kawika, applied for UDINK4. That’s when the same committee that had approved plates 1, 2 and 3 decided that the family’s last name was inappropriate. We disagree.
But we agree with a statement by District 3 Rep. Ron Maurer (R-Grants Pass): “This is political correctness gone wild. This is why citizens are so frustrated with government.” He said that everyone he’s talked to about the situation feels that it is ridiculous. Maurer was seeking a solution to the matter with ODOT because DMV is under its jurisdiction. And District 4 Rep. Dennis Richardson (R-Central Point) also stood up for the Udink Family to be able to use its name.
However, Mauer met Thursday last with the head of ODOT. “They’re not going to change,” he said, “so they plan to recall the plates. My idea is that there’s no legislative solution to this, but there should be an appeals process, probably outside DMV.” He said that 10 DMV employees constitute “the social police for Oregon” in reviewing personalized plates.
Mauer said that he will help DMV to perhaps institute a policy change. “Their position on the plates is indefensible,” he said, indicating that there needs to be change, especially noting the need for an appeals process.
According to DMV, the agency “denies requests for any combination of letters and numbers that may be viewed as objectionable. Objectionable combinations include those that would, by means of foreign or slang words or phrases, by use of phonetic, numeric or reverse spelling, or when viewed as a mirror image, have the effect of alarming, threatening, offending, or misleading a reasonable person. Such choices may include, but are not limited to, combinations of letters and/or numbers that:
“Refer to intimate bodily parts or to sexual or excretory functions.
“Refer in an alarming or offensive manner to a person or class of persons on the basis of race, color, gender, ethnic heritage, national origin, or other characteristic.
“Suggest that the vehicle to which the custom plate is issued is an official vehicle of a public agency when it is not.
“Refer to illegal acts.
“Refer to alcoholic beverages or controlled substances or paraphernalia used in the consumption thereof.”
Mike Udink said that he has received some 30 phone calls from people supporting the use of his last name, and criticizing DMV for its position. Udink plans to pursue his case as far as possible, including a move to abolish the personalized plate program if need be.
Besides radio and newspaper interviews, he received four vinyl bumper stickers from Backwoods Graphics, of Boring. The stickers read UDINK 1 through 4. The company owner basically said that if DMV is going to legislate against the family name for license plates, it can’t do anything about bumper stickers.
Mike Udink commented that the Website MSN.com ran a survey about the plates. “Some 83 percent are in favor of them,” he said. Meanwhile, he and his family planned to submit renewal applications every three months “to stay legal.” They still have their plates. For now.
He further notes that besides DMV setting a precedent for the UDINK plates, our country “speaks English, not slang.” He has a good point. There are numerous “words” or letter combinations that can be construed as “offensive” or suggestive if you’re looking to be that way.
Rather than micromanaging in the name of so-called political correctness, or what someone somewhere sometime could find odious, perhaps the DMV jury needs to revise its thinking. Don’t UDINK so?
