Class Assignment: Bumper Stickers

Assignment: Find a large parking lot. Copy down the bumper stickers (vanity plates count too) that you see on the vehicles parked there ~ each of these commonplaces makes an argument and implies an ideologic. Try to figure out the arguments and ideologics that underlie bumper stickers you have seen.

I found a LOT of bumper stickers. Here are a select and [hopefully] varied few.

REDCOAT (vanity plate): This one is definitely making a political statement. Exactly what it is, I'm not entirely sure. Just a proud Brit? We should never have split with the British empire in the first place? All for big government? All of the above?

∑ AΩ : Or in other words [English], Sigma Alpha Omega. Did you know there was a Christian sorority? Neither did I, until I looked these characters up. The first mind picture this conjures up for me is a cross between a Bible thumper and a  party girl. hahaha yeahhh... no. Their slogan is "One in Christ through unity in sisterhood," and after looking up the chapter at NCState I was only slightly more reconciled to the whole idea. Which is... to get together a group of girls from all kinds of Christian backgrounds who (after paying an arm and a leg) do fun things and service projects while still holding true to their biblical values. I'm guessing this person just really, really wanted somewhere to belong, had the money to blow and was therefore willing to pay $210/semester to get together with a group of likeminded girls (and do things that likeminded girls would probably do anyway) under an official title. Draw your own conclusions, but it looks kinda fishy to me.

Fire District #13: Probably the most straightforward (and I know I'm stereotyping here, but that's kinda the point :-P) one here. Firefighter ~ patriotic. Service-oriented. In shape.  Probably conservative. Cute (*winkwink*). Courageous. Selfless. 

Don't Litter ~ Spay and Neuter: Obviously against overpopulation, although they'd probably argue it's only in the case of animals. Pet owner/lover. Probably a member of PETA and/or ASPCA. Liberal.

(Please, feel free to disagree with and voice your disagreement on any or all of these, or just throw in your two cents. I'd love to hear some more sides.)