Georgia Bill Would Require Religious Display on All License Plates

[cleanhippie]

A new bill pre-filed in the Georgia General Assembly this month would not only allow drivers to obtain license plates reading “In God We Trust,” but would in fact require them on all vehicles – unless drivers pay to cover it up. Georgia SB 293 would amend current law to mandate that, starting next summer, all plates would be imprinted with the religious declaration. If someone does not wish to exhibit this statement of faith, they would be required to purchase a sticker from the state displaying the name of their county that could be used to cover “In God We Trust.”

The bill text currently available on the legislature’s website really drives home the dramatic change in attitudes by the Assembly, as you can clearly see what has been crossed out and changed. While displaying the county name is the current “default” choice for Georgia drivers and alternatively they may purchase an “In God We Trust” sticker, this bill would directly swap the two, making the religious motto the routine option.

Mandating that individuals pay money to the government in order to not flaunt religious views is absolutely ridiculous. As the website Georgia Politico aptly puts it, “In other words, if you feel the government should not be establishing a religion, you are going to have to pay to prove it.”

The effort is particularly absurd as it was just earlier this year that these same plates were one of the choices available to Georgia voters to choose under a referendum. With a significant number of people rejecting the religious option this summer, state officials have now chosen to simply force it upon them instead. We will be following this bill carefully when the legislature comes back in session in January.

http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2011/11/30/georgia-bill-would-require-religious-display-on-all-license-plates/

----------------------------------------------------------------

But not to worry, we are told right here, everyday, that the threat of theocracy in this country is caused by just a small, vocal minority, and we have nothing to worry about. That we should instead, focus on the positive aspects of religion and not wallow in cesspools...

Reminds me of that poem by Martin Niemöller...

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.

[firehorse]

1. NY has come up with weird mandates also -- to bring in the revenue

The mandates in ny effect small business owners. I guess I should be grateful that NY is not tying their mandates with a church & state combo. What Georgia is doing seems illegal.

[MarkCharles]

2. This sounds like a fund raising scam that that Georgia resident Newt Gingrich...

must have thought up!

[rrneck]

3. I'd want to live in county Fuck You. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Like that will survive a Constitutional challenge.

[progressoid]

9. That was my first thought also but,

Then I remembered what is written on all of our currency.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. It's the charge for removal that will be ruled unConstitutional. It's against my rights

to have to pay an additional amount because I don't believe in your god.

[trotsky]

17. Who will be able to bring one?

Creeping insidious destruction of the wall of separation is tricky. Courts have typically ruled that a plaintiff 1) needs to have legal standing sufficient to challenge. Residency in the state of GA *may* be sufficient here but not necessarily. 2) And this is the much higher hurdle - courts have also required plaintiffs to demonstrate they were directly harmed. Since a slogan on a license plate is difficult to demonstrate how it could harm someone, such challenges are going to be very difficult. And who wants the negative publicity, and death threats you get from the followers of the "Prince of Peace"?

These license plates fail the Lemon test miserably, and that should be sufficient. But courts have not always been consistent.

[Submariner]

5. The "Live Free or Die" slogan on a license plate was covered with tape

by a co-worker from New Hampshire, and the NH state police pulled him over and he got a ticket with about a $50 fine. So watch out in GA if they pull the same stunt.

[Tesha]

7. That was litigated and The State of NH lost.

(I don't recall if the loss was at the state or
federal court level.)

You are not obliged to host state propaganda
on your car, even if the state pre-prints it on
their license plates.

Tesha

[Submariner]

16. That's good to hear

My co-worker got dinged by the Staties on rt 93 way back in the early 90's. I hope he got his 50 bucks back. Thanks for the update.

[MADem]

6. Oh boy--a bunch of RELIGIOUS nannies! Don't they have anything better to do? nt

[jwirr]

8. Hmmm, they want a religious symbol on their plates this is mine:

Jesus was a socialist.

[rug]

10. Aside from the religious aspect this is also a free spech issue.

Coerced speech is not free speech. There are many cases striking down statutes that require students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, especially because of the "under God" language.

Until this is stuck down, I'd take this option.

"(2) Special license plates promoting the Nongame-Endangered Wildlife Program of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. The funds raised by the sale of these special license plates shall be disbursed to the Nongame Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Habitat Acquisition Fund of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for the purposes enumerated in subsection (b) of Code Section 12-3-602. Such license plates shall not include a space for a county name decal our nation's motto, 'In God We Trust,' but shall instead bear the legend 'Give Wildlife a Chance' in lieu of the name of the county of issuance motto."

http://www1.legis.ga.gov/legis/2011_12/versions/sb293_SB_293_Prefile_2.htm

[cleanhippie]

12. Good point.

[Old and In the Way]

11. How about "In God We Don't Trust"?

They'd generate a lot more revenue in Georgia getting that covered up, I would think.

But then, I'm sure this is all about dividing the country and jumpstarting and encouraging policies to create cultural conflicts ...it makes it a lot easier to do private service on the public dime when everyone is distracted by these legislative acts designed to pit the population against one another. Sadly, the morons who voted these clowns into office won't figure that out until it's way too late.

[deacon_sephiroth]

13. what a nice thought, fuck them very much. n/t

[NMMNG]

15. Oh, that's not an imposition

It's just a declaration that reflects the majority of people in the state. If a majority of people agree with something, that makes it OK to push it on everyone. Just like when slavery was supported by a majority of people, and when most people thought women should be considered the property of their husbands.