Bonnen Unveils
State of Texas' Fight Terrorism License Plate
ANGLETON -- The official state
unveiling of a new Fight Terrorism license plate took place in Angleton on
September 11.
"The license plates are a great opportunity for Texans who want to honor
the memory of the victims and heroes of September 11," said State
Representative Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton), who sponsored the license plate
in the 78th Legislative session. "The design is a very powerful symbol that
makes a strong statement for our country."
Bonnen was joined by Virginia House of Delegates Bob Hull (D-Fairfax), who
sponsored similar license plates in his state and is leading an effort to
get states across the country to adopt the design. Hull presented a state
resolution to graphic artist David Paranteau of Cedar Hill, Texas, whose
artwork inspired the design of the plate.
The unveiling took place at a luncheon hosted by the Angleton Chamber of
Commerce at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center. Representatives
from TxDOT in Austin brought in the official license plates and Bonnen
presented Paranteau with his own state plate showcasing the design.
The design on the license plate includes the American flag, the words
"Fight Terrorism." The logo design includes the date 9-11-01 with the
likeness of the World Trade Center towers forming the 11. The word
"remember" and the three sites where planes crashed that day are also on the
logo.
Paranteau designed the logo the day after the September 11 attack. He sent
it to friends and family members and someone left a copy of the logo on a
makeshift memorial outside the Pentagon. Members of the Arlington County,
Virginia Police Department found the design and started using it on
t-shirts after finding Paranteau and asking permission to do so. Parantea,
who was a volunteer firefighter when he lived in New York, has given
permission for its use for nonprofits and more than $100,000 has been
raised for charity by the Arlington Police Department.
Vince Rotundo of Virginia, a retired Foreign Service officer, first had
the idea for the license plates and asked Hull to sponsor the bill in the
Virginia legislature. Virginia plates were available by September 11, 2002,
quickly becoming the fasting-selling specialized license plate in the
state. More than 14,000 Virginians now have these plates.
Hull said he wanted the logo the minute he saw it because the symbol was so
powerful. "This way everyone is able to show, by having the license
plate on their cars, that we are part of this fight too," he said.
Sgt. Randy Crim of the Lake
Jackson Police Department, Paranteau's cousin, asked Bonnen to sponsor the
license plates in Texas and the plates were approved during the 78th
Legislative session.
Proceeds from the sale of the license plates go to TxDOT for disaster
preparation and response in Texas.
Brazoria County residents who want the license plates may fill out forms at
the county tax office. They may also be ordered through forms on the state
website for TxDOT. Speciality plates are $30 in additional to regular plate
fees.
"Texas, Missouri, and Wisconsin have all approved this license plate and a
number of other states are going through the legislative process to get
approval," Bonnen said. "We are going to be proud to see this design on our
Texas highways and I hope it is soon seen all across America."
