What's in a name? If you're Lorne Grabher, it's something that just might be worth suing the local government over.
News from Nova Scotia is that Grabher's custom license plate bearing his family's surname has been cancelled by the province's Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Talking to CTV News, Grabher said "Where does the province of Nova Scotia and this government have a person with that kind of power to discriminate against my name?"
Apparently, Grabher has had the vanity plate since 1991 when he ordered it up as a gift for his father's 65th birthday. The plate has since been used by three generations of, well, there's no other way to say it – Grabhers, who are all seemingly very fond of their family name despite the obvious connotations. Then again, perhaps that's exactly the reason.
In what should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone, CBC News reports that a provincial government spokesman said a complaint was received regarding the interpretation of the plate. In a letter to the news agency, the spokesman said there was no way the public could be expected to know this references a name. Grabher obviously disagrees and told CBC News that he would take the province to court if he had to because he "wants justice."
The obvious elephant in the room here is the notorious clip of President Donald Trump talking about grabbing "things" last year on the campaign trail. By things we mean – well you know what we mean. Grabher is actually a common German name, and the plate suddenly being deemed offensive after 26 years of trouble-free use suggests this drama isn't merely coincidence.
This is a tricky slope to navigate here. There's certainly nothing wrong with having pride in your family history and showing it through personalized items. On the other side, when your name is GRABHER – you know, like Grab Her – it's absurd to not expect some kind push back and controversy, regardless of whether or not it's your name.
Tell us what you think of this whole situation. Should Lorne Grabher get to keep his plate, or should he respect the decision of his local government and just get Grabher bumper stickers made instead?
