When I was growing up in the 1950’s and early 60’s bumper stickers were not political.  They were very much business oriented.  While driving across America you would see stickers like: “Visit Wall Drug”; Visit Mammoth Cave”; “Visit Yellowstone National Park”; “Miller Light the King of Beers”; “PBR”; “Visit Mt. Rushmore”; “Visit Historic –anything or place you put in the name”..  These were all meant to get Americans to visit these places and spend money.  In the mid to late 1960’s “Peace”; peace signs; “Get Us out of Vietnam”; “America, Love It or Leave It” began to appear on bumpers everywhere.  A cottage industry was born to let you know the driver’s political and social beliefs – unless of course a person bought the car used and it was the previous owner’s sticker (blasted things were hard to get off once attached). 

In the 1970’s the political bumper sticker mushroomed.  Stickers such as “ Buy American”; “Buy Union”; “Get Us Out of the UN”; “Impeach Nixon”; the smiley face;  “God Bless the USA”; “Don’t Buy Jap Cars”; “Proud Member of – again you name it and post it”; “My Country Right or Wrong”.  These are just a smattering of what I remember being on cars and pickups.  Americans used bumper stickers to tell you what they believed whether you wanted to know or not.  The thing about bumper stickers is that you can’t avoid them when you are driving behind a car with one; it is there in your face.

Nowadays bumper stickers are still in vogue.  Here are some of my suggestions:

Tea Party: “I Have Money, You Can’t Have It”; “ Join Me At The Alamo”; “Guns Don’t Kill People, People Do”; “I Am A Patriot, You Aren’t”; “I Know What Is Right For America”; “Christianity, The Only Religion”;  “You Are Either With Me Or Against Me”; “I Am Against Big Government But I want To Run It”; Some Taxes Are OK As Long AS They Are On You”; “Listen To Me I Am Right”; “We Will Redo Nixon’s Southern Strategy”; “Estate Taxes What Are Those?”; “This Is My Country And If You Don’t Like It Leave”.

Liberals: “Can’t We All Just Get Along?”; “Even Though I am Rich I Hear The Plight Of The Poor”; “I Am Big Government”; “Let Me Tell You What You Need”; “Civil Rights Are OK Just Don’t Go Too Far”; “Even Though I Have Never Been In Your Community I Have The Answer”;  “Government Isn’t For Sissies Anymore”; “If I have Anything To Give It Is A Great Respect For All Of You”; “We Can Meet Half Way”; “I Want To Help The Poor But Keep My Money”; “Establish A Colorblind Society Now”.

Rugged Individualists: “I Have A Gun And Will Use It’; “Leave Me Alone Or Suffer The Consequences”; “Get Off My Land”; “Yes That Is A Gun Rack In MY Pickup”; “ America Is Ours Get Out”; “I Might Seem Stupid But You Are”; “The Minute Men Were Right”; “I Am An American, Not No Damn Foreigner”; “I Vote With The NRA”; “I Love Charlton Heston He Is God”;  “If It Isn’t Broke Don’t Fix It”; “I Love This Country Except For Laws, Taxes And Government”.

Whites: “We Built This Country”; “Are You Following My Lead?”; “My Forefathers Are Better Than Yours”; “We Have The Right To Rule”; “Rules Were Not Made For Me But You Better Follow Them”; “I Won’t Go Into The Neighborhood Alone”; “You Have The Same Chances As Me What’s Wrong With You?”; “It Is My Right To Rule”; “Savages Are All Around Me”; “If You Are Different I Can Make A Joke About You And Your Culture”; “Making Money Is Like Falling Off A Log’; “I Have A Right To Everything”; “I Don’t Have To Think About Race”; I Am Colorblind”.

Persons Of Color: “I Know Injustice Firsthand”; “I Have To Fight For What I Receive”; “You Get The Job I Get The Shaft”; “I Am Tired Of Being The Butt Of Your Jokes”; “What Does ‘And Justice For All’ Mean?”; “What Does ‘All Men Are Created Equal’ Mean?”; “How Many More Lies Will You Tell Me?’; “Why Don’t I Feel Free?”; “We Have The Dubious Distinction Of Having The Highest Incarceration Rate In America”; “I Refuse To Let You Call Me Inferior”; “I Wasn’t Doing Anything Wrong Officer”; “I Think About Race Everyday”; “My Culture Is Important”.

Police: “Times Were Good Under J. Edgar Hoover”; “I Can Arrest You Anytime, Anywhere For Any Reason I See Fit;’ “I Love Arizona; “I Love Alabama”; “I Protect And Serve Those In Power”; “I Can Call An APB On Your Head”; “I Bleed Blue”; “I Am Fully Armed And Dangerous”; “See This Badge It Means I own You”; “We Need More Power”; “To Control And Arrest”; “I Am The Only Thing Between You And Chaos”; “Make My Day”.

Media: “We Have The Right To Tell You Anything”; “We Have The First Amendment So We Can Call You Anything”; “Distorted Truth Not Us”; “Watch Out We Can Write A Column On You”; “I Can Write About The Same Thing As Many Times As I Want”; “I Don’t Have To Tell You Where I Got My Information”; “I Have The Right To Give You My Opinion Only”; “If You Don’t Like It Don’t Listen”; “I Know What Is Best For America”; “We Need Another Watergate – Soon”.

Immigrants: “Get The Hell Out Of Arizona”; “Get The Hell Out Of Alabama”; “I will Take My Degree And Go Home”; “America No Place To Be Different”; “What’s That Officer?”; “I Am An American Let Me Go In Peace”; “My Religion Is As Important As Yours”; “Freedom What Freedom”; “Don’t I Have A Right To Live Where I Want Not Where You Tell Me?”; “My Culture Built This Nation Too”.

These bumper stickers have some truth about them but do not necessarily represent the ideas, beliefs or being of all members of the groups listed.  I have taken the liberty to create them around the theme of justice, white privilege, racism and the law and order faction.  I don’t have a bumper sticker on my car, but if I did it would be: “Social Justice Now”.

Timothy A. Bess

July 18, 2011