BLACKSBURG, S.C. — The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of a 73-year-old Virginia resident who was allegedly ordered by a park ranger to remove his car from a national military park in South Carolina because of political messages attached to his vehicle. Jack Faw, whose ancestors fought in the historic battle memorialized at Kings Mountain National Military Park, contacted The Rutherford Institute after being told by a park ranger that the decal promoting a political organization associated with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX), which was displayed on the back window of Faw’s car, was not allowed in the park. In a legal letter to Park officials, constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead warned that the ranger’s directive, which resulted in Faw being forced to leave the park, violated Faw’s First Amendment rights, as well as National Park Service regulations. Whitehead also demanded assurances that Park employees will be properly instructed in how to respect the constitutional rights of visitors to the Park so that Faw and others will not face similar restrictions in the future.

Soon after arriving and in the midst of his tour through the exhibits, Faw was approached by a park ranger who asked Faw to come into the ranger’s office. The ranger informed Faw that he must remove his car from the parking lot because it displayed a political decal that is not allowed in National Parks. On the rear window of Faw’s passenger vehicle is a translucent decal promoting “Ron Paul’s Campaign for Liberty,” an organization dedicated to reestablishing and furthering the principles embodied in the United States Constitution.

So I assume he would have been ejected for sporting an Obama sticker as well….right?




  1. fishguy says:

    Your government at work. It is being run by over-educated liberal idealists.

  2. Gary, the dangerous infidel says:

    I suppose the reason the old guy went straight to a legal organization rather than to the park ranger’s superiors is that he didn’t realize that the ranger was acting in contradiction to National Park Service policy.

    Sorry, McCullough, but your headline is unsupported by the article, which shows that political decals are allowable under National Park policy. No spitting took place except by “The Lone Ranger.”

  3. droozilla says:

    Or maybe he went to a legal organization BECAUSE IT’S ILLEGAL TO DO WHAT THE RANGER DID.

    That and lawyers run the damn country.

  4. Floyd says:

    I don’t particularly like Ron Paul, (I like Obama), but the last I heard, political bumper stickers are considered legal anywhere in the USA.

  5. birddog says:

    Post the name of the asshole park ranger and let nature take its course.

  6. raster says:

    Bullshit meter should be attached to this one…

  7. Hyph3n says:

    I’m with you, raster. This one stinks.

  8. So what says:

    As Paul Harvey would ask whats the rest of the story.

  9. GregAllen says:

    I think this story needs a BS meter.

    Even if true, can you blame the ranger? Paul wants to sell off our national parks to international corporations at fire sale prices.

  10. moss says:

    As #10 pointed out – the incident was resolved 4 days after it was reported. Sounds as if anyone had gone to the park superintendent it might not have escalated to a genuine Ron Paul moment.

    Ol’ Ron wouldn’t wish to devalue all that valuable property he’d much rather sell to Disney Enterprises.

  11. MikeN says:

    If you have someone who wants to eliminate the National Park Service, they probably won’t be too happy about it.

  12. Ah_Yea says:

    I wonder what would happen if Ron Paul went to the park with a Ron Paul Sticker?

  13. bobbo, the love guru and art critic says:

    I was in Yosemite one glorious day on tour of the valley and our guide wanted us to marvel at gods handiwork in making the place. I responded “I thought it was mostly magma upwellings and glaciers operating over time?” and she looked at me as if I had said the strangest thing ever. comical. Had me wishing and hoping we had to say the pledge.

    When dealing with “minions”–absent some highly unusual and aggravating event, like not saluting the flag or some other generally accepted community rite, “usually” rules are enforced according to protocol and rule books that the employees are trained to uphold. something as common as political stickers is in that category. surprising the Park Supervisor had such a rogue cannon. so yea, I wonder what the rest of the story is.

  14. chuck says:

    #15 – OMB! they actually made reference to “God” in a public park!!?? We can’t have these deranged bible-thumpers loose in our parks.

    BTW, don’t Park Rangers have anything better to do than carefully monitor the parking lots for scary bumper stickers?

  15. bobbo, the love guru and art critic says:

    #16–chuck==I thought the CONTEXT was clear: freaking Yosemite where the natural processes of geophysical processes are very much on display. But even a more non descript place would be as equally inappropriate for our tax dollars to go to spouting bible crap don’t you think?

    When I take a Federally Funded Tour I expect to be told something I don’t know, not something that isn’t true AND violates the Constitution.

    Know what I mean?

  16. bobbo, the love guru and art critic says:

    To be fair, had the Ranger said exactly what I quoted, I would have let it pass==but it was much more factually oriented along the lines of 7000 year old earth and I just didn’t and don’t want to take the time to recall the nonsense==in a Federal Park==with the Old Earth evidence underfoot and before our eyes–the real majesty.

  17. Publius says:

    Hypocritical liberal obama welfare abortion!

    Uh, no.

  18. Publius says:

    SBURG, S.C. — Responding to The Rutherford Institute’s demand that the First Amendment rights of visitors to the national parks be respected, the Superintendent of Kings Mountain National Military Park has promised to ensure that there will be no repeat of the incident involving Jack Faw, who was ordered by a park ranger to leave the park because of a decal on his car promoting a political organization associated with Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX). “I want to assure you and Mr. Faw that we take his constitutional right of freedom of expression seriously, and have taken steps to ensure this experience is not repeated,” wrote Superintendent Erin Broadbent. Broadbent also shared that she planned a refresher training session for park personnel on the proper implementation of park policies and regulations affecting individual rights of expression.

  19. McCullough says:

    #20. “Broadbent also shared that she planned a refresher training session for park personnel on the proper implementation of park policies and regulations affecting individual rights of expression.”

    Uh, wouldn’t that include slow dancing with your girlfriend at the Jefferson Memorial.

    Sucker.

  20. Dallas says:

    Lack of training compounds the problem for these services jobs that require little to no education to begin with.

    These are the jobs left after the Cheney-Bush decade.

  21. NobodySpecial says:

    The park service should be kicking out cars with those V6 and TURBO stickers on the back

  22. DesertMadness says:

    If you think this is happening by accident or ignorance, think again.
    Some vehicles don’t need bumper stickers to denote the owners politics though. An Obama sticker on a Prius for example, is redundant. A half-ton pickup with a rifle rack in the window needs no further identification, though usually comes with a discreet NRA sticker in the window.
    Myself, I prefer to keep my opinions to myself since its more important to know than be known.

  23. Ralph, the Bus Driver says:

    There are more than enough cars with political stickers on them. That this one car is singled out screams BULL.

  24. Greg Allen says:

    >> Ralph, the Bus Driver said, on May 30th, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    >> There are more than enough cars with political stickers on them. That this one car is singled out screams BULL.

    I think the whole story screams BULL. I tried to Google it and the story seems to go back to the “Rutherford Institute” not a legitimate news source.

  25. anyone know what the political message said on the car? i’ve seen some pretty crazy messages on cars, but none that i could imagine would raise so much calamity…


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