Jesus on my license plate!

Published on April 29, 2008 By SanChonino In Religion

Gotta love those crazy Floridians.

It seems as though there's a motion being put forward to make a new specialty license plate that you can purchase in the 'great' state of Florida. Yes, that's right - rather than plastering another in your fleet of Jesus fish on the back of your car, you can slap a cross on your actual license plate.

Wanna see what they're considering? It's just glorious, let me tell you.

Wow. That's just . . . special.

My issue with this, however, runs deeper than my distaste for gaudy crosses. The problem? What happens to the other religions? Are we going to offer a nice Buddhist license plate with a silhouette of the Buddha or perhaps a nice wheel with eight spokes? Or one with the moon and star of Islam? Or one with a big, gold Angel Moroni for us Mormons?

And where's my Flying Spaghetti Monster one?

Frankly, I think that Florida may have opened a can of worms it won't know how to close if this is actually created. Offering from a state office certain religious symbols without making equal consolations for all other faiths will be a mess, and the creator of this initiative will be crucified in court.

The ACLU has made a statement about it, saying,

The problem with the state manufacturing the plate is that it “sends a message that Florida is essentially a Christian state” and, second, gives the “appearance that the state is endorsing a particular religious preference,” said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.

I agree with them completely. This is wholly inappropriate in just about every way you can slice it. You've got to love this quote, though, from Rep. Kelly Skidmore about this situation:

“It’s not a road I want to go down. I don’t want to see the Star of David next. I don’t want to see a Torah next. None of [those other religions that I am not a part of] are appropriate to me,” said Skidmore, a Democrat who voted against the plate in committee. “I just believe that.”

I wonder if this passes, will Atheists be offered one that says "I DON'T BELIEVE"?

This is the one I'd go for . . .

PS I know I promised my murder story next, but it's taking a long time for me to write it. Longer than I thought. I guess I still haven't completely processed what happened that night. I'll get it done soon, I hope.

Comments (Page 2)

spiritwhotalks

on Apr 29, 2008

BLAH

SetarcosNous

on Apr 29, 2008

But the gov't isn't giving rather offering a custom design in which the customer or vehicle owner then pays an additional fees ($12 for personalized in Florida)

It is still catering to a particular group while not providing the equivalent service for others. If the government offered freedom with customization, where the "customer" provides the picture and it is then printed on the plate, there would be no problem. But the government is choosing the designs.

The government IS run like a business. We pay taxes for regulations (or services).

Nope, there is no attention paid to profit or profitability. Just because money is changed hands does not make something a business.

No? What's the purpose of votes then?

To pick the people who pick the people. That is why we have an electoral college, and why a simple 51% majority vote isn't enough for major changes in government. We have a representative democracy, not a direct one. Direct democracies had well earned bad reputations in the founders' time, and might still today, for being unstable and subject to "mob rule".

dynamaso

on Apr 29, 2008

The only reason I mention that is because they're not planning on offering plates for the different religions. They're only planning on offering one for Christianity.

Maybe its because the government realise some Christians are the only ones stupid enough to want to advertise their beliefs on a number plate.

Zoologist03

on Apr 29, 2008

Maybe its because the government realise some Christians are the only ones stupid enough to want to advertise their beliefs on a number plate.

Haha!

~Zoo

Adventure-Dude

on Apr 29, 2008

I agree it is catering to a particular group. I don't see this as being the first time though. Florida and other states have save this and protect that plates that cater to special interest groups as well. I have no issue with these do you?

I thought we were talking about legislation and not elections? In Colorado our amendments (legislations) are passed by 'majority'? Maybe they are different in Florida?

Adventure-Dude

on Apr 29, 2008

Maybe its because the government realise some Christians are the only ones stupid enough to want to advertise their beliefs on a number plate.

haha, maybe to compensate for something? As SC suggests.

dynamaso

on Apr 30, 2008

Hey Sancho, love the new Avataaaarrrrr, by the way Are you dressing loik a pirate, arrrggh?

BlueDev

on Apr 30, 2008

I don't know. I think it is sort of a lame idea. But at the same time I guess I think they should be able to do it if they and their citizens want it. Seriously, who are they going to hurt? If the Buddhists want a lisence plate, can't they petition their representatives and try to get something going? Isn't that the whole idea behind our form of a democratic republic?

Seriously, if someone is up in arms over such a silly little issue, I can't help but think that they need to learn to prioritize and, to be cliche, get a life.

SetarcosNous

on Apr 30, 2008

True, but AFAIK those groups are not religion-based.

I thought we were talking about legislation and not elections? In Colorado our amendments (legislations) are passed by 'majority'? Maybe they are different in Florida?

I was, probably somewhat off-topically, speaking more of national legislation and elections. But you're right, as many state affairs are dealt with through direct democracy. This is ironically why the thread's topic is probably even considerable, as I am pretty sure it is only the federal government that is restricted from such appearances of favoritism by the US's constitution. Now there may be something in many state constitution's but I am not sure about Florida's in particular.

Adventure-Dude

on Apr 30, 2008

True, but AFAIK those groups are not religion-based.

I'll agree that they are not religion-based however there are some here that might argue against this.

So what you are telling me is that religion based is bad but other special interests are okay (just not a majority rule special interest)?

Adventure-Dude

on Apr 30, 2008

The problem with that is the government can then appear to favor one religion over another. If they are willing to give Christians their plates, they must make plates available to other religions' as well. No the government shouldn't use capitalism, it is not a business.

On second thought, I'll agree with you it is not a 'true' business in essence but I don't see why they can't take advantage of capitalism here. If I'm not mistaken the gov't takes advantage of it more often then we probably realize.

Any contractual work constructional or technological are all done through a bidding process. The lowest bidder usually being the winner of the contract. The same is said for fuel, vehicle purchases, etc. So if they practice capitalism in their purchases why can't they do the same on their offerings?

JMO

SetarcosNous

on Apr 30, 2008

True, but AFAIK those groups are not religion-based.I'll agree that they are not religion-based however there are some here that might argue against this. So what you are telling me is that religion based is bad but other special interests are okay (just not a majority rule special interest)?

Mainly just religious based, as the government is violating its own laws by favoring one in some manner over another. Overall, I really don't think any plates should have special interests on them. They're license plates! If some guy just did a hit and run on me, I don't want a witness mistaking a snake for an "S" or a totem pole for an "I". If you want to personalize your vehicle, use bumper stickers or license plate frames. And if the state is going to allow custom plates, I better be able to have whatever I want put on it as long as it doesn't impair the identifiability of the plate.

SetarcosNous

on Apr 30, 2008

So if they practice capitalism in their purchases why can't they do the same on their offerings?

I really don't have a horrible problem with this within limits. If some people want to pay an extra $10, $20, or whatever and that saves me and everyone else a few pennies or gets an extra pothole filled fine. The problem is with the religious favoritism shown. If they are going to offer Christians plates, they better be offering them to the rest of the religions with equal accessibility.

Chaos Manager

on Apr 30, 2008

I'm not sure how Florida generates ideas for these plates. Having been part of an effort to get a set of plates here in Virginia (the yellow and white with the funky looking house on it for Home Educators, for all you Virginians. Don't blame me ... I just ran the petition, I didn't design the damn thing), I can say that it's not an act of the legislature that gets it approved. All you have to do is have a design, a petition (minimum of 250 signatures) as well as 250 preorders (PAID preorders, at that). Once you meet those, the design gets run through the DMV's system and it's ready to go. From that point on, anyone can pick it out of the lineup at the DMV (and the nice display that covers 3 walls in the local offices is tres gauche).

And none of the organizations that have custom plates (and some charities, even) have any association with the Commonwealth above and beyond the plates. No support. No discrimination. If a Christian group wanted to get plates, and could get the 250 minimum orders together, they could get the same plate here in VA. DMV won't necessarily offer one for Muslims or Bhuddists, but they've got the same access to getting the signatures together and putting a plate together.

uDigItTheMost

on Apr 30, 2008

There you go, SC and Zoo. Hopefully Utah and Ohio has the same rule. I don't think it would be that hard to get 250 pre-paid orders in either state. Then you could have your very own FSM plate. That would be so cool.

Since my family lives in Ohio maybe I'll get to see one or better yet maybe one of my brothers would pre-order one.

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