Ron Gabrielson, County Administrator
Freeborn County Courthouse
411 South Broadway
P.O. Box 1147
Albert Lea, MN 56007-1147
Dear Mr. Gabrielson,
I try to be an advocate for people who are victims of unfair censorship. The story of your predicament caught my attention. It seems that the license plate for your car is being recalled because it says “FOAD1,” which many people interpret as “Fuck Off And Die” but you insist means “Freedom Offers Americans Democracy.”
There was a similar case in Columbus, Ohio recently, in which a woman’s license plate came under scrutiny because it contained the acronym WTF. In her case, her use of these initials predated their now-common usage as “What The Fuck.” It represented an abbreviation of a family business name.
I do not wish to offend you, but I am having some trouble believing that you meant for FOAD to have a purely patriotic meaning, and that you were completely innocent of its other usage. I have been unable to find other places where your definition is employed. Apparently someone uses it to mean Feed Our Adorable Dolphins. Is this a phrase of your own invention?
Since I am somewhat skeptical about your situation, I find it difficult to support your cause. This is not about any desire to censor you. In fact, even if you did intend for your plate to mean “Fuck Off And Die,” I do not think your choice should be denied. I do believe, however, that you should exercise complete transparency.
Truly,
Liz Mann
