Jun 07 2008
I believe you’re idiots
Soon South Carolinians are to be offered a license plate with the phrase “I Believe”, a symbol of torture surrounded by stained glass and their original god, the sun. Opponents to the plate have threatened to sue (probably noddles and two meat balls covered with spaghetti sauce topped with kosher salt), declaring that the license plate is a State endorsement of religion. The bill passed the State House and Senate unanimously on May 22. A similar plate for Florida failed in April.
A Republican chairman for the Senate Transportation Committee said, “I didn’t see a constitutional problem with it… We have other plates with religious symbols on them and phrases like ‘In God We Trust.’ Just because it’s a cross, some very closed-minded people don’t believe it should be on a plate.” Burn them at the stake, they don’t believe!
In South Carolina there are around 200 specialty plates which endorse everything from Square Dancing to the Homophobic Boy Scouts of Gaymerica. The state charges up to $70 dollars for the plates, with the profit benefiting the sponsor. Since no “organization” is sponsoring the Christian plate, the State plans on placing only a surcharge of $5 to counter the cost of making it.
New Orleans is one of the most religious cities in the Nation. I drive in a sea of metallic Jesus fish and see more rosaries dangling from the rear view than any person with a repugnance to religion should have to endure. Jesus fish and crosses have even started showing up on business signs. As if anyone needs any more of a reminder of how many people believe, than the gazillion churches saturating the city.
But it’s far better to live in a world were people are free to express how willing they are to be indoctrinated, worship magic books, and believe in ancient super heroes than live in an oppressive state. I’m not going to not go to your business if you believe in Jebus. I’m going to go to the company with the best price and service. That’s the American way… er, I mean that’s the intelligent way, so maybe not exclusively American.
Why do these freaks need Jesus on their license plate? For that matter, why do people want to have Square dancing on their license plate? The issue is pretty sAmpl to me. A license plate is the property of the State. Consumers may buy it from the government, but it remains the State’s domain. It’s like a social security number for your car. There shouldn’t be anything but numbers, letters and perhaps a symbol of the State on a license plate. I hope the Christians ruin it for everyone, even the “Surfrider Foundation”. Then Americans will have to change their way of life and live with bumper stickers promoting their thing.
I can understand why the religious would/will think that the State only allowing secular sponsors of plates as a state endorsement of atheism. I think a similar fear can be seen on billboards. I hate billboards. But I do get a kick out of, “The real Supreme Court meets up here.”
That’s why I know what the right thing to do is. We have people in Louisiana arguing that a painting of Jesus should be allowed in a court house because they even have a painting of a local sports hero there. My question: Why are there sports posters in the court house?
Whatever will Stephen Colbert do.