Faux Real

Ever since I first blogged about the irritating Indiana license plate debacle, I’ve been getting stupid comments like this (resist the urge to reach for the red pen, darlings):

All I hear is a bunch of griping. Yes I am a believer, and no I never complained before we had this plate.

There are more options than the one, so why complain? People express their views and opinions on their cars all the time, i never see a whole blog devoted to bashing that, do you? Maybe this is a way we express our self. no one said you have to believe it.

By the way, I am going to assume that none of you, that hate this plate, use any currency in the form of the US Dollar. look a little closer, yeah that’s right, IN GOD WE TRUST

Well goddamn. I take back everything I said about the license plate. Nevermind that this ain’t about supporting the national motto, it’s about declaring your faith in God using taxpayer money.

To recap, for those who are beyond not caring and really just don’t get the big deal, when you buy an Indiana specialty plate you pay a $15 administrative fee and a $25 donation to the charity the plate represents. You can choose from over 75 plates ranging from support for breast cancer research to alumni affiliations to environmental protection agencies, a whole slew of options. Last year the state decided to offer an alternative plate, bearing the motto “In God We Trust” pictured next to an American flag. To receive this plate, you don’t have to pay any charity. Great! It’s a plate declaring a religious affiliation, thus tying a donation to this plate is more than problematic, it’s unconstitutional. The rub is that the recipient of this “alternative” plate doesn’t have to pay a $15 administrative fee either, setting this plate apart from (a) the standard plate that all Hoosiers would otherwise receive and (b) any other specialty plate. What makes this even more insulting is that in addition to the $15 loss on the administration fee, the state absorbs $3.69 for each plate ordered that comes out of the Indiana Highway Fund.

If that’s not outrageous, I don’t know what is.

The LA Times reports:

State officials say the plate, introduced in January, has been a hit, chosen by more than 540,000 motorists. That means that had the state charged the $15 fee, it would have an additional $8 million in its coffers.

“The issue isn’t the message. It’s not about religion,” said Ken Falk, legal director for the ACLU of Indiana, which filed the suit in Marion Superior Court on Monday.

“It’s about making sure that nearly every other plate that carries a message has a cost attached to it, and this does not,” Falk said. “In a state that’s as religious as Indiana, the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ is not just about supporting the national motto. It’s about saying you believe in God.”

I suppose the “I like my Christianity equated with American Patriotism” crowd doesn’t mind either that we’re missing out on a cool eight million in the state’s coffers, what with the fight over property taxes, rising utility rates, and a dismal job market, no.

The Indiana ACLU is bringing a lawsuit against these plates and the reactions to this are pretty disenchanting. As much as the lawsuit’s naysayers defend the use of the national motto, they can’t seem to divorce it from religious beliefs or activities like our dear friend up top.

“It’s on our currency. We mention God in the Declaration of Independence,” said Curt Smith, president of the Indiana Family Institute. “I think the lawsuit is more than misguided. I think it shows that they’re hostile to any expression of the divine.”

Is it the government’s job to validate one’s divine beliefs?

As Melissa notes, those of us who’d rather not be associated with this kind of church-state loophole trickery don’t necessarily get the option of having the state endorse our feelings:

Meanwhile, in a shocking twist, the dipshit Republican state representative who introduced the legislation that eventually resulted in the existence of this stupid plate, Woody Barton, totally doesn’t get it: “I’m a Christian, but I don’t care if you’re Christian or Jewish or Muslim. Your god may not be my god, but this is still a country that’s based on faith. Why can’t you tout that on your license plate?”

I see your juvenile rhetorical device and raise you one condescending sneer: “Ever heard of atheists, moron?”

See, here’s the thing about ol’ Woody’s bill: Because specialty plates donate money to some organization or other, there was a concern about an “In God We Trust” specialty plate violating the separation of church and state, as donations would logically go to some kind of religious organization. So Woody rewrote it to make the plate a standard alternative plate. No special fee, no donation, no possible separation conflict.

Problem is, if my local branch runs out of non-god standard plates, they can offer me this one, and if I don’t want it, my only option is to pay up for a specialty plate. Which, by the way, is happening across the state, because Indiana changes its license plates every five years and our non-god standard plate is in its fourth year, so they’re just letting them run out: In some places, it’s “the only game in town for the driver who wants a new license plate this year.”

Let’s drive this one home, no pun intended: It’s not the state’s job to express divinity for you. The state’s job is to ensure that you can express your faith. And you can. With your own organizations and your own time and your own money.

If you think your car is an extension of your church I suggest you buy a bumper sticker.

MORE: Chuck kindly points out Indiana’s priorities when it comes to it’s government’s faith and patriotism — and license plates!