Woman Suing NJ for Rejecting Her License Plate
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Printed Date: Feb 15 2019 at 1:26pm
Topic: Woman Suing NJ for Rejecting Her License Plate
Posted By: tatee
Subject: Woman Suing NJ for Rejecting Her License Plate
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 5:21pm
http://gawker.com/woman-suing-new-jersey-for-rejecting-her-atheist-licens-1564820456" rel="nofollow - Woman Suing New Jersey for Rejecting Her Atheist License Plate http://gawker.com/woman-suing-new-jersey-for-rejecting-her-atheist-licens-1564820456?utm_campaign=socialflow_gawker_facebook&utm_source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow#" rel="nofollow - - 
A
New Jersey woman says the state discriminated against her on the basis
of her beliefs when it rejected her request for a license plate reading " http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2014/04/new_jersey_woman_files_lawsuit_over_atheist_license_plate.html" rel="nofollow - 8THEIST " as "objectionable." Nonbeliever
Shannon Morgan, of Maurice Township, N.J., said that after her custom
plate was rejected, she tested "BAPTIST," and the Motor Vehicle
Commission's website accepted it. 
Now
she's filing a First Amendment suit against New Jersey, with
representation from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. A
spokesperson for the MVC says the state doesn't discriminate against
nonbelievers, citing a case where American Atheists president David
Silverman's request for a http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/29/n-j-to-allow-athe1st-license-plate-after-worker-labeled-it-offensive/" rel="nofollow - plate reading ATHE1ST was allowed after a review. Morgan's
lawsuit says the fact that Silverman had to fight to get his plate
approved establishes a pattern of rejecting atheist plates in the State,
"thereby discriminating against atheist viewpoints and expressing a
preference for theism over non-theism." Her plate wasn't just inadvertently rejected by a computer algorithm, either. A spokesperson for the MVC http://www.nj.com/cumberland/index.ssf/2014/04/new_jersey_woman_files_lawsuit_over_atheist_license_plate.html" rel="nofollow - told NJ.com , "We review every request personally ... and we review them for anything that's offensive of objectionable." http://gawker.com/woman-suing-new-jersey-for-rejecting-her-atheist-licens-1564820456
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Replies:
Posted By: Benni
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 5:38pm
License Plates are rejected for reasons they consider to be "inappropriate". It's nothing personal lady. If she is an Athiest, why did she choose to get one that say Baptist? Was that a test to see if they are infringing on her religious, or non-religious belief/rights?? The state of NJ may have saved her a lot heartache. Sporting plates like that may have cause her more trouble than it's worth.
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Posted By: SoutherNtellect
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 5:56pm
Benni wrote:
License Plates are rejected for reasons they consider to be "inappropriate". It's nothing personal lady. If she is an Athiest, why did she choose to get one that say Baptist? Was that a test to see if they are infringing on her religious, or non-religious belief/rights?? The state of NJ may have saved her a lot heartache. Sporting plates like that may have cause her more trouble than it's worth.
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yes, that's what the article says
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Posted By: liesnalibis
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:20pm
Why would you even want to mark your car like that? I mean it's her right but sheesh.
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Posted By: creole booty
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:21pm
Lies, the same reason that I saw a car plate that read "bossch1ck" or "stunna" I don't know lol. I'm not paying extra for a plate.
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Posted By: BBpants
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:22pm
LOL
She must be bored as hell do sue nj for some dumb sh*t like this
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Posted By: ModelessDiva
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:23pm
smh this is stupid
people will find any petty reason to sue...let me guess for a million dollars right? lol.
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:26pm
It's pretty lame that you can do one thing, but not the other. Living in NoVA has made me realize people will put as much of their life story in their license plates that'll fit on there. If this lady wants to be able to do this, then she should. *shrugs* The state did this to themselves.
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Posted By: carolina cutie
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:27pm
liesnalibis wrote:
Why would you even want to mark your car like that? I mean it's her right but sheesh. | Guuurl! You live in the deep souf. You have seen cars with bible verses listed on the plate, 'saved', blssed, favored, etc. This woman wants the same rights as they do and now she is about to get paid as well.
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:30pm
Lol, she's not suing for money. Just the ability to be able to do it or to have a legitimate explanation why she can't.
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Posted By: Midna
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:31pm
That's a dumb thing to reject.
I've seen far worse.
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Posted By: ModelessDiva
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:31pm
I would feel the same way if the tables were turned and this was a baptist trying to sue because they couldn't get a baptist license plate...
stupid its a license plate, not a billboard
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:34pm
It would be a totally different issue if they were suing to be able to announce the religion in general. I don't care about the license plate itself. She should have the right to advertise to all the world in the same capacity as anyone else. If "atheist" is objectionable and baptist isn't...that's problem that's much deeper than it being stupid.
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Posted By: melikey
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:38pm
I'm suprised baptist was available
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:39pm
I am too.
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Posted By: liesnalibis
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:40pm
carolina cutie wrote:
liesnalibis wrote:
Why would you even want to mark your car like that? I mean it's her right but sheesh. | Guuurl! You live in the deep souf. You have seen cars with bible verses listed on the plate, 'saved', blssed, favored, etc. This woman wants the same rights as they do and now she is about to get paid as well.
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Yeah I know but putting those things on your car is not a risk. If she puts that on her car it may make her a target. Once again it is her right but I would be scared to leave my car in the parking lot if it said that.
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:42pm
I just don't need anyone knowing my business like that. If you want to know about me, we need to have a conversation first.
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Posted By: carolina cutie
Date Posted: Apr 18 2014 at 6:44pm
JasmineE02 wrote:
Lol, she's not suing for money. Just the ability to be able to do it or to have a legitimate explanation why she can't. | That's me talking because I'd want to get paid. Emotional distress & the like.
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Posted By: MissinCali
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 12:10am
Ahhh!! Get a bumper sticker..
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Posted By: Sang Froid
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 12:38am
So they review the plates personally? Yep that's an issue.
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Posted By: ModelessDiva
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 2:04am
MissinCali wrote:
Ahhh!! Get a bumper sticker.. |
this.
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Posted By: Lady ICE
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:09am
BBpants wrote:
LOL
She must be bored as hell do sue nj for some dumb sh*t like this
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Posted By: tatee
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:22am
Sang Froid wrote:
So they review the plates personally?Yep that's an issue. |
mayve been the only one to see the real problem here.
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Posted By: afrokock
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:56am
ive got one for her
0BN0X1U5 C11NT
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 9:55am
Maybe people don't realize that you have to sue to compel the government to change its policy. She didn't just right out sue them either. She tried to contact them first assuming it was a mistake. They repeatedly brushed her off. The state can't give preferential treatment to any particular religion (or lack thereof even). If they made it to where no one was allowed to do it, this would even be an issue. For the people complaining that she's doing too much...they went out of their way to ban the word knowing it's unconstitutional. Things don't get changed...even the small, seemingly irrelevant stuff..without making a fuss. It's the principle of the matter and the message it sends.
By the nature of our very existence, we're not "objectionable"...I'm objectionable for a whole host of other reasons, thank you very much. 
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 10:18am
JasmineE02 wrote:
Maybe people don't realize that you have to sue to compel the government to change its policy. She didn't just right out sue them either. She tried to contact them first assuming it was a mistake. They repeatedly brushed her off. The state can't give preferential treatment to any particular religion (or lack thereof even). If they made it to where no one was allowed to do it, this would even be an issue. For the people complaining that she's doing too much...they went out of their way to ban the word knowing it's unconstitutional. Things don't get changed...even the small, seemingly irrelevant stuff..without making a fuss. It's the principle of the matter and the message it sends.
By the nature of our very existence, we're not "objectionable"...I'm objectionable for a whole host of other reasons, thank you very much.  |
I think what's interesting here is that some of the responses in this thread reflect the majority mindset where unequal treatment for a minority class is usually met with "I don't see what the big deal is". I mean these are black folks that understand the problem of unequal treatment for minorities, no matter how minor, and the effects of having that treatment institutionalized by the government in any way. They get it. But when given a chance to be in a majority position over another minority group, in this case, atheists, suddenly none of it makes sense all over again.
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 10:22am
I think it's because we're grumpy goats. 
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 10:25am
JasmineE02 wrote:
I think it's because we're grumpy goats. 
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Hilarious, and that's exactly how I like my coffee. No kidding! LOL
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Posted By: leftywefty
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 12:45pm
I wonder if "ATHIEST" was also banned? or taken??
eta: as much as I disagree with atheism, the state of NJ set themselves up for this one. But I also wonder, how far can freedom of speech go? Can people use hateful/racist language on their plates?
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 12:50pm
http://happyplace.someecards.com/11579/the-most-shamelessly-offensive-license-plates-ever-seen" rel="nofollow - http://happyplace.someecards.com/11579/the-most-shamelessly-offensive-license-plates-ever-seen
ETA: More! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/the-most-inappropriate-va_n_505569.html#s74471&title=Rub_One_Out" rel="nofollow - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/the-most-inappropriate-va_n_505569.html#s74471&title=Rub_One_Out
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 1:10pm
leftywefty wrote:
I wonder if "ATHIEST" was also banned? or taken??
eta: as much as I disagree with atheism, the state of NJ set themselves up for this one. But I also wonder, how far can freedom of speech go? Can people use hateful/racist language on their plates?
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Why would a discussion on such a benign word make you wonder about hateful/racist speech? It would be like a discussion on hatred/racist language prompted by a license plate that says "Democrat". Seems strange to me.
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Posted By: leftywefty
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 4:20pm
rohan wrote:
leftywefty wrote:
I wonder if "ATHIEST" was also banned? or taken??
eta: as much as I disagree with atheism, the state of NJ set themselves up for this one. But I also wonder, how far can freedom of speech go? Can people use hateful/racist language on their plates?
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Why would a discussion on such a benign word make you wonder about hateful/racist speech? It would be like a discussion on hatred/racist language prompted by a license plate that says "Democrat". Seems strange to me. |
You can't honestly be that dense… NJ banned "8thiest" because they found it to be offensive or inflammatory. I simply wonder what other terms have made the banned list. This isn't about atheism. This is about freedom of religion and freedom of speech in our country.
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Posted By: afrokock
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 4:25pm
leftywefty wrote:
rohan wrote:
leftywefty wrote:
I wonder if "ATHIEST" was also banned? or taken??
eta: as much as I disagree with atheism, the state of NJ set themselves up for this one. But I also wonder, how far can freedom of speech go? Can people use hateful/racist language on their plates?
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Why would a discussion on such a benign word make you wonder about hateful/racist speech? It would be like a discussion on hatred/racist language prompted by a license plate that says "Democrat". Seems strange to me. |
You can't honestly be that dense… NJ banned "8thiest" because they found it to be offensive or inflammatory. I simply wonder what other terms have made the banned list. This isn't about atheism. This is about freedom of religion and freedom of speech in our country.
| huh??
this is an own goal luv!
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Posted By: BBpants
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 4:46pm
I say it's not a big deal cuz it's just a license plate. Make a new one and move the f*ck on lol
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:05pm
leftywefty wrote:
rohan wrote:
leftywefty wrote:
I wonder if "ATHIEST" was also banned? or taken??
eta: as much as I disagree with atheism, the state of NJ set themselves up for this one. But I also wonder, how far can freedom of speech go? Can people use hateful/racist language on their plates?
|
Why would a discussion on such a benign word make you wonder about hateful/racist speech? It would be like a discussion on hatred/racist language prompted by a license plate that says "Democrat". Seems strange to me. |
You can't honestly be that dense… NJ banned "8thiest" because they found it to be offensive or inflammatory. I simply wonder what other terms have made the banned list. This isn't about atheism. This is about freedom of religion and freedom of speech in our country.
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Hey, I agree with you totally. But before asking the question, I had no idea what angle you were taking with your question i.e if you were conflating the term "atheist" with "hateful/racist" language, or if it was more of an academic question like you explained above. And the only way to find that out was to ask. Or we could go with dense. That works too.
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Posted By: nitabug
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:07pm
Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:13pm
Hola Nita, hope you're well! : -) You too Afro!!!
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Posted By: afrokock
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:16pm
im good bro!!
life is good!
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Posted By: nitabug
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:18pm
Hey Rohan :)
All is well here. Wishing you the same.
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:18pm
afrokock wrote:
im good bro!!
life is good! |
Good to hear man, good to hear!
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Posted By: PurplePhase
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:27pm
Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:31pm
PurplePhase wrote:
*waves to Rohan*
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Purpleeee!  Hola, how you been? What made you change your name?
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Posted By: PurplePhase
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:40pm
too many PMs about the other one. lol it took a year or 2 to get it changed, but one day out of the blue it came thru.
Good to see you again.
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Posted By: kfoxx1998
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:42pm
So are we saying that plate is inflammatory and we wouldn't want it because it might make good Christians go into a blind violent rage? I mean I totally agree but I didn't expect a majority to acknowledge that the immediate response from Christians to the mere existence of atheists is to become violent and start stoning and burning niccahs. I thought the general consensus was that only Muslims were like that
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Posted By: afrokock
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:48pm
kfoxx1998 wrote:
So are we saying that plate is inflammatory and we wouldn't want it because it might make good Christians go into a blind violent rage? I mean I totally agree but I didn't expect a majority to acknowledge that the immediate response from Christians to the mere existence of atheists is to become violent and start stoning and burning niccahs. I thought the general consensus was that only Muslims were like that
| now you know!!
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:49pm
PurplePhase wrote:
too many PMs about the other one. lol it took a year or 2 to get it changed, but one day out of the blue it came thru.
Good to see you again.
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Ha, you were too popular on here, makes sense! : -) And really awesome to see you as well!
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Posted By: afrokock
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:50pm
rohan wrote:
afrokock wrote:
im good bro!!
life is good! |
Good to hear man, good to hear! | hope you and the family been keeping well.
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Posted By: kfoxx1998
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:50pm
rohan wrote:
JasmineE02 wrote:
Maybe people don't realize that you have to sue to compel the government to change its policy. She didn't just right out sue them either. She tried to contact them first assuming it was a mistake. They repeatedly brushed her off. The state can't give preferential treatment to any particular religion (or lack thereof even). If they made it to where no one was allowed to do it, this would even be an issue. For the people complaining that she's doing too much...they went out of their way to ban the word knowing it's unconstitutional. Things don't get changed...even the small, seemingly irrelevant stuff..without making a fuss. It's the principle of the matter and the message it sends.
By the nature of our very existence, we're not "objectionable"...I'm objectionable for a whole host of other reasons, thank you very much.  |
I think what's interesting here is that some of the responses in this thread reflect the majority mindset where unequal treatment for a minority class is usually met with "I don't see what the big deal is". I mean these are black folks that understand the problem of unequal treatment for minorities, no matter how minor, and the effects of having that treatment institutionalized by the government in any way. They get it. But when given a chance to be in a majority position over another minority group, in this case, atheists, suddenly none of it makes sense all over again.
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Basically.
The responses would be different if the state rejected "blackpwr" but accepted "whitepwr". We might then see what the big deal is.
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Posted By: carolina cutie
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 5:51pm
Don't know about y'all but I'm about to try this in NC except I need to sue for discrimination. I need some emotional distress payments to cover school costs...oh and protect freedom of speech and all that jazz.
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:06pm
I'm still surprised with the horrible stuff people can put on the license plates and no one cares. OldPedo. Wtf.
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Posted By: TokyoRose
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:08pm
rohan wrote:
Hola Nita, hope you're well! : -) You too Afro!!!
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ROHAN'S BACK!!!!!
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Posted By: TokyoRose
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:11pm
Interesting how some feel she is being obnoxious because she wants an ATHEIST license plate...yet no one complains about how vanity plates can be obnoxious in general. If that's what she wants to put on her license plate, and it's not a vulgar term, let her. The people who were being obnoxious were those at the DMV who wouldn't let her have it.
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:16pm
TokyoRose wrote:
rohan wrote:
Hola Nita, hope you're well! : -) You too Afro!!!
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ROHAN'S BACK!!!!! |
Ahhh Tokyo!!! Feels like the old crew is here :-) How you been girl, hope you're well. Still in Japan?
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Posted By: TokyoRose
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:17pm
rohan wrote:
TokyoRose wrote:
rohan wrote:
Hola Nita, hope you're well! : -) You too Afro!!!
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ROHAN'S BACK!!!!! |
Ahhh Tokyo!!! Feels like the old crew is here :-) How you been girl, hope you're well. Still in Japan? |
Yep, I'm still here and doing well! I have since gotten another job that I am loving the last time we talked. How are you?
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:19pm
Family reunion! I know there are people weeping right now. I'm sorry BHM. I promise to behave myself...mostly.
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Posted By: TokyoRose
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:26pm
JasmineE02 wrote:
Family reunion! I know there are people weeping right now. I'm sorry BHM. I promise to behave myself...mostly.
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JasmineE02! Welcome back!!!
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Posted By: PurplePhase
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:29pm
rohan wrote:
Ha, you were too popular on here, makes sense! : -) And really awesome to see you as well!
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] nah, they just thought I had the hook up 
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Posted By: PurplePhase
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:33pm
Yay to that last part, Rohan.
eta: @ post below R, you see we still have issues here on bhm 
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:34pm
TokyoRose wrote:
rohan wrote:
TokyoRose wrote:
rohan wrote:
Hola Nita, hope you're well! : -) You too Afro!!!
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ROHAN'S BACK!!!!! |
Ahhh Tokyo!!! Feels like the old crew is here :-) How you been girl, hope you're well. Still in Japan? |
Yep, I'm still here and doing well! I have since gotten another job that I am loving the last time we talked. How are you? |
Oh awesome, so glad to hear that. I know the last time we spoke you were going through it! Really happy to hear things worked out. 
I'm good, no complaints at all. Quit my job since we spoke last and now work for myself. Pretty happy.
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Posted By: PurplePhase
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:35pm
carolina cutie wrote:
Don't know about y'all but I'm about to try this in NC except I need to sue for discrimination. I need some emotional distress payments to cover school costs...oh and protect freedom of speech and all that jazz.
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better hurry, My GF in NC may beat you to it. I sent her this article last night and she said same thing.
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:35pm
JasmineE02 wrote:
Family reunion! I know there are people weeping right now. I'm sorry BHM. I promise to behave myself...mostly.
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Yayyyy!  
I'm overdoing the emoticons yes, but dammit it's been a while! lol
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Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:46pm
I've missed you guys. Tokyo! I'll actually eventually be moving to Tokyo in a year or two. We'll be in Australia for a bit first. You have to tell me all of the cool stuff I should do in Japan.
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Posted By: TokyoRose
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:47pm
Posted By: JasmineE02
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 6:49pm
Nice! I'm terrified. 
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Posted By: carolina cutie
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 7:00pm
PurplePhase wrote:
carolina cutie wrote:
Don't know about y'all but I'm about to try this in NC except I need to sue for discrimination. I need some emotional distress payments to cover school costs...oh and protect freedom of speech and all that jazz.
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better hurry, My GF in NC may beat you to it. I sent her this article last night and she said same thing.
| We're about to make some cash Purp.
So this is an alt religion section reunion?
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 7:23pm
carolina cutie wrote:
So this is an alt religion section reunion?
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Yes mam, it's official! : -)
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Posted By: rohan
Date Posted: Apr 19 2014 at 9:52pm
PurplePhase wrote:
Yay to that last part, Rohan.
eta: @ post below R, you see we still have issues here on bhm 
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Oh, just seeing this. Too hilarious! Good ole BHM 
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