Yes, it's true. I just encountered an experience that I wish upon no one, but that I'm sure happens too often in America.

I live in Huntsville, Alabama. I was driving home from the downtown area of my metropolitan statistical area which has a population of over half a million people. I was not driving erratically. I signaled when changing lanes. I obeyed all traffic control devices.

Yet, I was pulled over by city police.

Immediately there were three other patrol cars behind my mid-size SUV. Four in total.

I was informed by an officer that my bumper stickers were obstructing my view.  I have several liberal bumper stickers on the back window of my 2003 Ford Explorer Sport. A DEM sticker. A "Yes, We Did" sticker from MoveOn.org. A "Veterans for Obama" sticker to company my Operation Enduring Freedom plate, as I am a Veteran. A "Daily Kos" decal. And a "FREE DON" sticker. All but two are completely outside of the transparent portion of the back glass. The remaining two do not obstruct my view whatsoever.

While I might not agree, I could understand police looking for reasons to make stops in a downtown area on a Friday night to catch intoxicated drivers. But I was never administered a field sobriety test. I wasn't asked to step outside the vehicle. I wasn't even asked if I had been drinking.

Yet, I was cited. I thought I received a warning, and I was just going to call it a night and go to bed angry.

But upon further inspection, I received an actual citation. I can either pay a fine, or appear in court on the 23rd of March at 5:30 PM. I've reviewed the statue for which I was cited. It applies to the the percentage of visibility through window tinting. Utter bullshit.

I guess the best thing city police have to do on a Friday night in a metropolitan area of over half a million is to pull over and cite individuals for perceived excessive bumper stickers.

I'm writing here because, I'm sure like many of you, blogging is my outlet for things like this.

I've contacted an attorney, who happens to be a friend and a progressive Congressional candidate who is running to oust our local representative, the party switcher Parker Griffith. This is not meant as a solicitation diary, but more than likely we will have to take time off from his campaign to represent me. He'd appreciate your help.

I'm so effing angry. There is no way I'm letting this slide.