Jesus Christ on a license plate. Yup, it's Florida.

[flvegan]

Separation of Church and State? Sorry, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Florida Senate approves religious license plates

By Amy Hollyfield, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
In Print: Saturday, April 25, 2009

TALLAHASSEE — If you want Jesus on your license plate, the Florida Senate is looking out for you.

Because why worry about a budget impasse or property insurance when you can spend more than an hour talking about Jesus, the devil and license plates?

Religious specialty plates offered by Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, and Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, made it onto a bill Friday even though many members had not seen images of those plates and none was produced for the debate.

Siplin didn't mince words when asked what his "Trinity" plate looks like, saying, "It has a picture of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ." It, along with a "Preserving the Past" plate offered by Siplin, would benefit the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences.

Storms' "I Believe" plate would benefit Faith in Teaching, an Orlando company that funds faith-based programs at schools. Its design features a cross over a stained-glass window.

Several members had concerns about approving plates they had not seen. And one questioned using religious symbols at all.

"The issue is whether the state of Florida ought to be producing license plates with religious images on them," said Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, "and I don't believe that we should."

Lots more:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/legislature/article995257.ece

[buzzycrumbhunger]

Holy fuck.

They thought a pro choice tag was "too controversial," but this shit is just fine? We truly do live in the arse end of America. . .

I'm gonna need something more in-yer-face than my FSM emblem to counteract this. :eyes:

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

4. Well obviously

a plate with Satans picture and the words, "I don't believe" would be fair, wouldn't it? :)

[RagAss]

27. At a minimum yes !

[pleah]

1. Holy roller?

:shrug:

[TahitiNut]

2. Well, the Satanists should get a plate, too. Islam and Judaism without question, of course.

The there's Wiccan, Hindu, Buddhism, ... oh, boy ... this could be fun.

Maybe I can move to Florida and start my Church of The Middle Digit.

[madeline_con]

3. Siplin must have found the lord.

In 2006, he was convicted of third-degree felony grand theft of $5,000 or more, as well as a misdemeanor statutory violation, for using the services of employees for his candidacy. He is the first convicted felon to serve in the Florida Legislature, and sponsored legislation that would restore voting rights to himself and other convicted felons. While able to vote in the Senate, Siplin could not vote for himself in general elections. Siplin, however, enjoyed support from leaders in both political parties. In addition to members of the Democratic Party, Florida Senate President Ken Pruitt, a Republican, refused to call for the expulsion of Siplin from the Legislature until his appeals were exhausted.

On December 28, 2007, the Florida Fifth District Court of Appeal reversed his convictions and remanded the case to the trial court with directions that Siplin be acquitted of the felony charge, and that prosecutors be given permission to retry him on the misdemeanor charge.

[ellenfl]

5. i hope all floridians have signed the fair elections petitions.

perhaps then we can get rid of these maroons.

ellen fl

[LeftyMom]

6. Remind me again why you haven't moved someplace sane?

Just thought I'd throw that out there. :shrug:

[katmondoo]

7. I live in Gainesville, Florida and my tag reads CELNY

They don't know it but it means CHOICE in Polish. Maybe I should let them know. I did this in answer to the "cute" pro life tag. I lied and told Alachua County it was the initials of a dear departed friend. Sometimes I just want to shout the meaning out.

[KathieG]

32. Hey neighbor...I'm just south of you in Marion County...

It's too bad you have to "sneak" a word onto a plate while others can be blatantly obvious about their religious views. Saw one of those pro life plates the other day that said something like "IM4IT". I can't believe they even offer this plate...I'm still waiting for plates that support other views/religions...not holding my breath. :eyes:

[marybourg]

8. Today I saw a "10 commandments" license plate in AZ.

For a state that prides itself on "fiscal conservatism", AZ lawmakers sure seem to love to spend money on litigation defense

[Believing Is Art]

9. Lemme get this straight

"Storms' "I Believe" plate would benefit Faith in Teaching, an Orlando company that funds faith-based programs at schools."

So Florida is implicitly promoting a religious message via the license plate that would then funnel money from the states' registered drivers to an organization that is actively trying to circumvent the First Amendment in public schools.

It's real life flame bait.

[flvegan]

10. That appears to be correct.

Storms is pretty famous for being the biggest slag in Florida politics. At least to anyone with a soul.

[lonestarnot]

22. Criminetly!

[depakid]

11. "Florida has more than 100 specialty plates, with several new ones proposed this year."

Damn!

[tomreedtoon]

12. I want a Flying Spaghetti Monster plate.

It should say "The One True God" at the top and "Ra-men!" at the bottom. Give me a couple of days and I'll even design it.

[piratefish08]

35. I want mine to say "Touched by HIS Noodly Appendage". n/t

[tomreedtoon]

38. And here's the plate!

Later on in this thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5530395&mesg_id=5537819

[TheMadMonk]

13. It's time the Supreme Court spelled it out.

"The influence of your religion extends only as far as your property boundary and the property bondary of your place of worship."

[UrbScotty]

14. But do said lawmakers follow Christian ideals?

[onethatcares]

15. Jesus got one of them cute

johnnyreb hats on with a pair of sandals and a margarita in one hand.

I didn't even have to read the intro to know rhonda the nut case was in on this.

Gaud, it never stops down here, anyone know what the high chapperal in New Mexico is like?

[carlyhippy]

16. I like NM's balloon plates.

[siligut]

17. When a bumper sticker or Jesus fish just won’t do anymore.

This means you are really committed.

[lpbk2713]

18. Florida ... the home of Katherine Harris.

That should explain it all.

[jmowreader]

19. If I ever had to move to Florida...

I'd apply for a personalized plate that said ATHEIST on it. I bet it would be rejected.

I swear, when the fundies claim they want to turn one state into a Christian Nation, I say we give 'em Florida. It wouldn't cost much to help the few sane Floridians emigrate to Secular America.

[RagAss]

26. Yeh...well we did vote "Blue" this past election....there is hope.

[jmowreader]

37. Yeh...well you are still stuck with Ronda Storms...

there's hope but not all that much.

[spanone]

20. in tennessee you can buy a 'pro-life' license plate, but not a 'pro-choice' plate

state sponsored anti abortion

[flvegan]

21. We have a "Choose Life" plate for the anti-abortion freaks.

No "Choose Choice" plate though.

[HughMoran]

23. Well, if you only park in places where people agree with you, that's fine

It wouldn't be safe to park a car with some of the crazy plates I've seen in other areas of the country (not necessarily religious).

[AngryAmish]

24. The problem with Florida is that it is filled with Floridians

They don't call it "America's Wang" for nothing.

[RebelOne]

39. I am a former Flordian, but I was never right wing.

Now I am a Georgian in a really red area. Try living with that.

[RagAss]

25. I want my Buddha Plate !

[The Straight Story]

28. I don't have a problem with it

Wouldn't get one myself though.

The state is not forcing anyone to buy the plates.

And public libraries have religious books, is that wrong too?

[flvegan]

30. I don't see the public library

openly and directly raising funds for religious charities via religious books promoted by openly hateful bigots.

[The Straight Story]

31. Universities, et al, make money off plates as well

So we should discriminate against religious organizations that want to?

Separating church & state does not mean you don't give them the same opportunities others are given. I don't feel pressured to become a wolverine fan when I see one of their plates here in Ohio, if I saw an atheist plate I would not suddenly run screaming, it's a freaking plate which other groups are given access to. Equal access is a bitch at times, but better than the alternative.

[-..__...]

29. Get the plate with an offensive or mocking letter/number combo

subtle enough so it will get by the issuing authority...

(I need a 3 letter/number prefix for this one)...






Source of inspiration if you don't get it...

[KathieG]

34. Ha!

"THE" would work.

[tomreedtoon]

33. They get their plate, I GET MINE!

And when we Pastafarians say "All others must die," we're not inciting violence. We're simply saying that no one may enter paradise without being touched by His Noodly Appendage. We are certain that no one in our state so full of firearm-toting Morans would ever take our sacred message the wrong way.

ON EDIT: Of course, I forgot to mention the great appeal of entering Heaven. Heaven contains a beer volcano and a stripper factory. Hell is the same, but the beer is stale and the strippers have STD's. The great tragedy is that for many in Florida, who do not submit their will to the Sacred Sauce, they won't be able to tell the difference between Heaven and Hell.

[benld74]

36. Coupla Ass bags is what they are.

[GoneOffShore]

40. One more reason for me not to move to Florida.

Heat, bugs, batshit crazies, over abundant firearms and death as an industry have made me stay away. And now a reason to point and laugh at Floridian license plates.