Okay, this isn’t the real plate.
After making the massive mistake of stopping by Borders and buying I Am Legend last night, I was SO not in the mood for this today:
The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words “I Believe.”
Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate’s sponsor, said people who “believe in their college or university” or “believe in their football team” already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with “something they believe in,” he said.
Approving the plate could open the state to legal challenges, according to Josie Brown, who teaches constitutional law at the University of South Carolina. And it’s not certain who would win.
“It would be an interesting close call,” Brown said.
Bullard, the plate’s sponsor, isn’t sure all groups should be able to express their preference. If atheists came up with an “I Don’t Believe” plate, for example, he would probably oppose it.
In an attempt to cheer myself up, I tried to Google the Nova documentary on the 2005 debacle in Dover, Pennsylvania over teaching evolution vs. “intelligent design” in the public high school. That documentary is awesome. It’s like..like misanthropy vaccine or something. Apparently I wasn’t specific enough in my search terms the first time round though, cause what came up instead was, among other things:
Florida Senate passes evolution challenge bill
Last Update: 4/23 8:55 pmPlant City Senator Ronda Storms introduced the Evolution Academic Freedom Act, which permits teachers to challenge the theory of evolution in science classes.
This comes months after a state panel voted to require teaching evolution in Florida. Storms says her law would protect teachers who want to offer other theories for mankind’s existence besides evolution.
The bill passed 21-17 and now goes to the House. That chamber is considering a version of the bill that would not just permit, but require teachers to present “critical analysis” of the theory of evolution.
That’s it. No more news for me today. Or maybe til Monday. I have found my Nova documentary and I am gonna snuggle up with it for the rest of the night. The End!
“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 that stuff is appropriate to me,” said Skidmore, a Democrat who voted against the plate in committee. “I just believe that.”
By the way, that democrat is a Roman Catholic. So, I guess driving while jewish, or atheist, is not okay in Florida.
Its funny how Christians cry that its persecution if they can’t express themselves and shove their religion down everyone else’s throats, but its completely okay to discriminate against other religions. Yep, no double standard here, keep moving, no double standard.
You didn’t love “I am Legend”?!
More on topic, this is disgusting and depressing. If someone wants to talk about Jesus with their car, get a bumper sticker. Get one of those plate frame things. Get an airbrushed vanity plate to put on the front. (Well, I don’t know about Florida, but here in Kansas we aren’t required to put plates on the front.)
Thanks for ruining my morning!
Sabrina:
Skidmore voted AGAINST the plate, so I took the quote opposite the way you did — he’s not “persecuting” Christians by voting against their specialty license plates, because he would vote against any other religious state-sponsered plate, whatever religion it may be.
I loved the *book!* …okay, I knew it wasn’t really gonna be like the book but I was NOT expecting it to be “Signs” either. grrrr…
Hey, what are you doing in Kansas? They’re not big fans of supporters of Teh Godless.
Flee, flee!
Zombie Z:
Hmm, you may be right. I know he voted against it, and when I read that quote my first thought was, so its okay as long as the jews don’t have plates?! I can see what you’re saying, though, he was just trying to show how he wasn’t persecuting the Christians. I thought the process was more, no if we get Christian plates then all the false religions will want plates..eeekk!! I think that may be a poorly worded quote on his part:)
I’d actually be fine with any license design anyone wants being allowed, provided it doesn’t obscure the visibility of the numbers (easy to enforce, with templates). That’s obviously not what’s going on here, but in general, I think the legislature should be freed from having to think about this shit, because, (1) dealing with it in anything like an equitable manner is clearly beyond them, and (2) don’t they have better things to grouse about?
I’m working on it, Lisa. Though I am headed down to Texas and they may be just as godbaggy. At least there are more horses and the weather’s better!