‘Star Trek’-Themed Vanity License Plate Deemed Offensive In Canada

What’s ironic about this is that Star Trek is constantly held up as one of progressives’ favorite sci-fi franchises, hailed as a pioneer of diversity and forward-thinking that was groundbreaking at the time without being overly preachy (a lot of modern sci-fi message-fic could do with taking a cue from from old school Trek, honestly).

Also, this isn’t the first time someone in Canada threw a fit about an “offensive” license plate. Good grief, Canada. What is WRONG with you?

According to this, a Star Trek fan in Manitoba named Nick Troller wanted to put a license plate on his car that said “ASIMIL8,” and pair it with a Trek-inspired license plate frame. The reference clearly is a nod to the Borg, an alien race that constantly tries to assimilate people into their collective hive-mind. Their catchphrase? “Resistance is futile.” Even if you know nothing about Star Trek, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of it.

Here’s what Troller had on his car –

It’s cute, it’s silly, and it’s obviously a nod to Troller’s Trek fandom. Lots of people do similar things to celebrate the geeky things they love.

But apparently a couple of indigenous people didn’t get the joke and complained that Troller’s license plate was offensive. See, if you insist that people assimilate into society, you’re being a RAAAAAAACIST. And we can’t risk anyone being offended by even the slightest thing –

Nick Troller’s licence plate with the text “ASIMIL8” was confiscated by Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) in April after the Crown Corporation received complaints from two Indigenous people about its reference to the word “assimilate.” Troller was told to surrender his plate and that he could either buy a new personalized plate or receive a refund for the old one.
According to MPI’s policy, plates can’t contain words, phrases or innuendoes that “may be considered offensive.” Licence plates are the property of the Crown and there isn’t an appeal process.

I have to –

Can we please come to a point where we tell these humorless morons to grow a pair and get over whatever stupid thing is “offending” them today? I’m getting sick of common sense and individual rights being bulldozed because of some snowflake’s delicate lilac-scented FEEEEEEELINGS.

It is a freaking STAR TREK reference. It’s not even a very obscure one at that. I’ve only recently been seriously getting into Trek myself (my husband’s been a fan since he was a toddler and he’s been slowly introducing me to the Trek collective, as it were), but I’ve known about the Borg for YEARS. It’s not that difficult to figure out that this guy isn’t trying to make a political point.

This is INSANE. Bottom line.

(h/t Promo Marketing)