Planned Parenthood of South Carolina has filed suit against the state of South Carolina, claiming the state is violating the right to free speech.

South Carolina recently made a new license plate available to its residents. The plate reads “Choose Life” on it. A “Choose Choice” plate will not be offered.

Planned Parenthood wants the release of the plates to be stopped by a federal court, claiming the state is sponsoring one side of a political issue.

As much as I hate to side with the organization because of their stance on abortion, Planned Parenthood is right on the money in this case.

It is ridiculous that a state would even attempt to push political opinion by means of a product used strictly for automobile registration and identification.

Planned Parenthood claims it is unconstitutional to release these license plates.

And that it is.

It is a violation of the first amendment for a state to provide a public forum for one political view while not allowing the opposite view to be heard.

You cannot have “free speech” when a government endorses a view point while silencing another.

Planned Parenthood tried to get South Carolina legislators to offer a “Choose Choice” plate, but they were denied.

This isn’t new. South Carolina has been in the business of sponsoring a political idea for some time.

The “Choose Life” plate is not the only license plate in South Carolina that endorses a political viewpoint while not offering the opposite.

The state offers a license plate that reads “PUBLIC EDUCATION: A GREAT INVESTMENT.” The license plate is white with a big apple on the side. The top of the plate has a ruler with the message printed on it.

There is not a plate for those who send their children to private schools because they refuse to send their kid to a failing school system.

Another plate is white in the middle with blue stripes on the top and bottom. It has a picture of a bald eagle and reads “Protect Endangered Species” across the top.

Their is no plate offered for those who don’t want to protect endangered species.

What does South Carolina think?

To them, it is all about states’ rights. There is a rich culture of states’ rights in the South. That’s just the way it is.

I’m all for states’ rights, but states do not have the right to violate the Constitution.

Clearly, South Carolina is providing the public with the option to say “Choose Life,” but they are in turn denying the public the chance to say “Choose Choice” by only printing one of the phrases. And that is not free speech.

Hence, it violates the first amendment, part of our Constitution.

It’s not that South Carolina doesn’t know what they are doing. The state is fully aware of why one would consider this a violation of free speech.

Governor Charlie Condon told a reporter for the associated press the state can issue the plates as long as the federal government can put “In God We Trust” on currency.

Condon has made one political belief more important than what this country was founded on. For what?

Would seeing a political belief on a license plate change your mind?

I must say, at least we don’t have to deal with this kind of thing living in Iowa. It’s a shame any citizen of this great country would still have to fight for the constitutionally-provided freedom of speech.

Zach Calef is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is an assistant news editor of the Daily.