This could easily have been the end of the matter - rude and abusive slogans are vetoed every day by the 50 state motoring departments, each of whom has slightly different criteria for acceptability.

这本该让这件事简单地画上句号了——50个州的机动车辆管理部门每天驳回很多粗俗的和具有侮辱性质标语的车牌，尽管各自的界定标准略有不同。

But what happened next drove the issue of "novelty" licence plates straight up the highway out of Texas and into the highest court in the land.

但是接下来的事让“新奇的”车牌问题从德克萨斯州的高速公路上下来，进入了美国最高法院。

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, sponsors of the controversial plate - went to the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, where they successfully argued that to reject their design was to restrict their right to free speech - protected by the First Amendment.

这是因为该车牌的赞助者——南部联盟士兵遗孤组织到美国第五巡回上诉法院起诉，称根据美国宪法第一修正案，不准他们使用这个设计限制了他们的自由言论权，随后胜诉。

The case now stands before the nine Supreme Court justices - who must consider how the rights of constitution apply within these 12in-by-6in (30.48cm-by-15.24cm) metal plates.

如今，这个案子摆在了最高法院的九大法官面前，他们必须考虑宪法赋予的权力如何应用到这块长12英寸宽6英寸（长30.48cm宽15.24cm）的铁皮上。

【美国一个车牌引发的“血案”】相关文章：

★ 梅根王妃其实名叫瑞秋？来看看明星的“真名”都叫啥

★ 美国犯人亲身演绎真人版越狱

★ 美国人性生活率创历史新低，专家很着急

★ 美国一名小丑给小学生发糖，引发全城恐慌……

★ 中国哲学的起源

★ 什么才是一份“好工作”?

★ 移民潮下的“人才浪费”

★ 太过专注使人“无意失聪”

★ 给玛利亚·施莱弗的建议

★ 回到上新世？气候变化或让南极洲变“绿洲”