A Florida man was arrested for displaying an obscene bumper sticker on the back of his truck, one that either expressed his sexual preferences, or his love for a four-legged animal.
After Dillon Shane Webb was told the sticker was “derogatory,” he claimed his freedom of expression was violated, and the deputy’s office asked if he was using his free speech to express his desire of “eating a donkey.”
Keep reading to learn why Webb was arrested over a bumper sticker!
In 2019, a Columbia County sheriff’s deputy was driving behind a pickup truck when he noticed a vulgar sticker plastered on the middle of the rear window.
Dashcam footage shows Deputy Travis English stopping his cruiser in a parking lot behind the brown pickup, operated by Dillon Shane Webb, 23, with the bumper sticker in clear view.
The letters on the sticker – printed in bold white – reads, “I EAT A**.”
In the video, the deputy approaches the passenger side of the truck and after saying, “hello gentleman,” he explains that he pulled the car over due to “the derogatory sticker” displayed on the back of his truck.
In Florida, law prohibits “any sticker, decal emblem or other device attached to a motor vehicle containing obscene descriptions, photographs or depictions.”
“How’s it derogatory?” Webb asks from inside the car.
The officer replies, “How’s it not derogatory?”
“Some 10-year-old kid sitting in the passenger seat of his momma’s vehicle looks over and sees ‘I eat a**’ and asks his mom what it means,” English says. “How is she going to explain that?”
Sniping back, the driver provides the wrong answer: “That’s the parent’s job, not my job,” Webb says before he’s asked to present his driver’s license and registration.
After stepping out of the vehicle, Webb is searched, and the deputy tells him the sticker is a “misdemeanor violation of Florida’s obscene materials law.”
“I have four kids…if my 6-year-old was to look at me and like, ‘dad what does I eat a** mean?…he’s curious…and the way [you] handled this situation, I’m not pleased with,” English said before offering Webb the opportunity to explain his sticker to the court system.
Next, the deputy suggests Webb remove one of the letters from the word “A**” to read “AS.” But Webb refused, citing his constitutional right to free speech.
A few minutes later, things take a nasty turn for Webb.
After confirming with his supervisor that he had reasonable rights within the law, English steps out of his cruiser and approaches Webb, who’s leaning against his car, looking at his cellphone.
“All right Mr. Webb. Place your hands behind your back,” Webb is told. When he asks “why?” he learns “because you’re going to jail.”
Asking “for what?” English explains that he was given “the option to take that off” the window, but he “refused.”
He was then arrested and charged with the additional offense of “resisting an officer without violence.”
‘Perverted mind’
“They’re just words,” Webb later told First Coast News. “If that’s how they feel, if they have a perverted mind, that’s on them.”
But according to Sergeant Murray Smith of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, it wasn’t just the words on the sticker that Deputy English determined was illegal.
“It was the obscene phrase depicting what the deputy thought was a sexual act, which is obscene by definition,” said Smith. “What would a reasonable citizen think? Is the guy eating a donkey or is he doing a sexual act?”
The incident captured the attention of a lot of social media users, the majority who defended Webb.
“So what if he eats donkey. What’s the big deal?” asks one netizen. Another, referring to English speaking of his child’s potential reaction to the sticker, says, “Since when are a cop’s feelings deserving of an arrest?”
“I live here and as soon as we heard he got arrested we all went and got the sticker and put it on [our] trucks,” pens a third.
Another adds, “He better keep his kids off the internet. They will see far worse than this.”
The State Attorney’s Office cited the First Amendment and the charges against Webb were dropped. Later, Webb sued for alleged violations of his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights, but U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the Middle District of Florida ruled that the arrest was “arguably justified under Florida’s obscenity law,” giving the officer and his supervisor “qualified immunity,” which means they are protected from the lawsuit.
This case underscores the ongoing debate in the U.S. over free speech and its boundaries, especially around expressions some might find offensive or derogatory. It also reflects how the First Amendment remains a contentious issue, with some insisting their right to free expression is under threat, while others argue for consideration that certain messages will have on the population.
What are your thoughts on this story? Please share your thoughts with us and then share it with your friends so we can get the conversation going!
Goldie Hawn, 78, vacation pictures in swimsuit spark comments
For celebrities, to be photographed is a pretty normal occurrence. And for someone like Goldie Hawn, it is very much the same. Hawn, who has been in the limelight since 1969 when she appeared in Cactus Flower is no stranger to public scrutiny.
The actress only got more famous as time went on. She then went on to marry Gus Trikonis and then later Bill Hudson. Both men also worked in entertainment.
Later, Goldie Hawn’s children also followed in her footsteps and became actors. So you will not be surprised to know that she is very used to being photographed any time she is out and about.
Keep reading to know more about what picture of Goldie Hawn had tongues wagging this time.
78-year-old Goldie Hawn was pictured by paparazzi on vacation in her swimsuit and the picture caused a lot of reactions from people who saw it. Many internet users had strong opinions about her appearance.
The actress, who has been with actor Kurt Russell since 1983. The two share one child together, and Russell also helped raise Goldie’s two children from her previous marriage, Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson.
One user simply criticized the actress’ lack of tan, writing, “I love her but I hate the color and style of this swim suit I believe a little tanning cream just saying.”
Some criticized her choice of swimwear, with one user writing, “There comes a time when you should not wear some suits or shorts anymore”
While another appreciated the actress and how well she looked for 78 years old, they wrote, “This is an amazing photo! I hope like HELL when im 78 i can stroll the beach in a bathing suit and a tiny cover and not gaf what anyone else thinks! 
i think shes beautiful!”
Others were more frustrated with the negative comments, “My God people, leave her alone. She looks great for her age. End of story!”
The actress herself, has no qualms about getting older.
She said, “Getting older is a fact of life. By living mindfully, you understand that there are many transitions in life, [and] you just have to go through them,” the star told People. “It’s wonderful to know that you’re aging because that means you’re still on the planet, right?”
But she is very aware of the age bias that exists in the industry and among its fans
“You think you’re going to fight the system? You think you’re going to prove to Hollywood when you hit 45 that you’re still a sexy, viable object? No. There’s a certain reality,” Hawn told Bazaar. “Does it make me angry? No. I’m not an angry person. I’m not a militant person. Anger doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s not productive.”
Even with the negative comments she sometimes faces, it is good to know that she is able to look beyond it. What do you think of Goldie’s swimsuit? Let us know in the comments.
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