Judge Rules on SC "I Believe" Plate
Thursday November 12, 2009
A federal judge has ruled that South Carolina's proposed "I Believe" license plate violates the First Amendment ban on establishment of religion by the government. U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie also mentioned South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer, who had pushed to get the plate approved by the state legislature. Currie referred to Bauer's efforts to "gain legislative approval of a specialty plate promoting the majority religion: Christianity," and added that Bauer's work had pushed the state into the expense of unnecessary and costly lawsuits.
Back in December 2008, Currie ordered an injunction on the production of the license plates, which feature a stained glass window and a cross. Currie said at that time that the SC Bureau of Motor Vehicles was prohibited from selling the plates until the matter could be evaluated in court. Of note, Currie is the same judge who found in favor of Darla Kaye Wynne, a South Carolina Wiccan who fought against her town's exclusively Christian invocations at city council meetings.
Rev. Barry W. Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said he was thrilled with Currie's decision that the "I Believe" plate is unconstitutional.
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Back in December 2008, Currie ordered an injunction on the production of the license plates, which feature a stained glass window and a cross. Currie said at that time that the SC Bureau of Motor Vehicles was prohibited from selling the plates until the matter could be evaluated in court. Of note, Currie is the same judge who found in favor of Darla Kaye Wynne, a South Carolina Wiccan who fought against her town's exclusively Christian invocations at city council meetings.
Rev. Barry W. Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State said he was thrilled with Currie's decision that the "I Believe" plate is unconstitutional.
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Wow, I’m glad to see that someone in a position like this Judge, truly sees the need AND has the guts to uphold our Constitution! I’m blown away.
I am truly amazed that a state firmly in the loops of the bible belt had the gumption to say “enough is enough”. If you’d like to view the actual findings, they are here: http://www.au.org/media/press-releases/archives/2009/11/summers-v-adams-summary.pdf
I can only imagine that U.S. District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie is being bombarded with nasty emails and phone calls concerning this decision. I shall send her nice thank you email and I urge everyone else to do so as well. Here is the email:
http://www.scd.uscourts.gov/Judges/distjudge.asp
I’m soooo glad to be an 18 y/o who’s coming into adulthood in a day when our religion is respected more than ever. I live in a small town in the “bible belt” and it’s suprising how accepting my generation is of all religion…
We are having the same problem here:
http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/11/12/article/forsyth_suit_could_affect_prayers_in_guilford
I live in SC, so I’ve have been following this and I’m very happy with the decision! Yay for sensible judges!!
As a proud and aware pagan I see the need to defend the Christians with their right to display their symbols. This is one struggle we need to unify. There are those who wish to use our differences against us and keep us divided, for their ultimate scheme to “Rule all the kingdoms with iron rods” If we allow them to cover the cross in the Mojave desert or forbid us to display any religious symbols, we are one gigantic leap towards the iron fist of Communist socialism. make no mistakes the ones who rule religions are the ones who rule the world. To destroy beliefs in what gives us strength will destroy our morale and indoctrinate our children.
I know many of us have resentments towards the Christians over crap that happened 400 years ago but we are all in danger. Remember “Defend the U.S. Constitution from all enemys Foreign and domestic and believe me we have them in every position of power just pushing us pawns into their personal gulag.
Has anyone seen the Indiana plate? Nearly evereyone of them I saw this summer on vacation said “In God we Trust” Not one said “In Goddess we trust”
Wendell,
The Christians have no right to use the United States Government to promote their religion, or to display their symbols on public land.
They are free to display their symbols on their privately-owned land. Isn’t that easy to understand?
I see no need to unify with anyone over a non-existent struggle, (displaying symbols on public land) especially so since the Christians fought us over our right to display a Pagan pentacle on our headstones in military graveyards.
I don’t believe that you are a proud and aware Pagan. I believe you are a mole for the Christians.
You keep referring to “they, them, those”, and refer to an “ultimate scheme”. Do you suffer from paranoid delusions?
I for one want “them” to take down that cross in the Mojave. If we allow that to remain, then we must allow all religions to “display” their own particular symbol. Try to erect a fifteen foot tall pentacle on publicly owned land and see how far you get.
“They” are not attempting to forbid us to display religious symbols. “We” are upholding the US Constitution by demanding a Separation Between Church and State.
“Iron fist of Communist socialism”? How do you figure that upholding the US Constitution will be a gigantic leap towards such a thing?
The US gov’t cannot destroy anyone’s beliefs or destroy our morale, religion does not give us strength that we do not already have, and the ones that want to indoctrinate our children are the religious nuts who dominate our government today.
I have no beef with anyone over what happened 400 years ago. As far as I know the religious nuts back then were as fond of persecuting each other as anyone.
I AM disgusted with what the majority religious group in this country has done to us all today in its mad rush to claim everything here as belonging to them exclusively.
The only ones attempting to push the pawns into their personal gulag today are the religious fanatics that are trying to take over our country so they can force their own narrow views onto the rest of us.
I want a license plate that says, “In the Flying Spaghetti Monster We Trust”.
After posting the email link to thank the judge, I now see it is for filing papers. If anyone finds an email for her, let me know.
It would be fine with me as long as I can get a plate that says “I don’t believe”.
Jacob(11) – Love it! Or maybe for those who are indifferent to the whole thing, a big “Who Cares?” on the bottom of the license plate?
patti