Her license plate says 'IAMISIS.' The DMV doesn't care what her name is, says plate must go

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Since 2022, a Sacramento woman has paid $50 yearly fees for her personalized license plate, which says “IAMISIS.” Now, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has recalled the plate.Officials have deemed it possibly offensive.

For Isis Wharton, the plate is simply factual.She’s appealing the DMV’s decision.On Friday, Wharton told The Times that she received a letter that said the license plate, among other things, “creates a risk of inciting violence.”The DMV stated the “IAMISIS” personalized plate could be construed as “I am Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.” ISIS is considered a transnational terrorist organization by the United States, responsible for acts of violence around the world.“At first when I opened the letter I was very surprised that they were doing this after so many years,” she said.

“I felt hurt and offended by them implying that my name was something that would incite violence.”Wharton said her license plate is a reflection of her name and the ancient Egyptian goddess she was named after.Isis symbolizes healing and maternal love and was worshiped from England to Afghanistan during the time of the Roman Empire.“Because of that,” she said, “I choose to fight it because I think this could be a great example of bringing back the powerful and peaceful name Isis and not giving all the negative power to the terrorist group.” In a statement to The Times, the DMV said it is required by law to review all requests for personalized license plates and ensure the configurations being approved are permissible under state law.“The DMV understands that language and symbols can hold different meanings across cultures and communities,” the statement said.

“What may be a term of endearment in one context can be perceived differently in another.”If a personalized plate falls into one of the following categories, officials said, the pl...