Plate spinning

As I noted a few posts down, I spent the weekend in Indiana at a board meeting. Big fun was had by all.

But upon returning to the Hoosier State (I go there about five times a year for various meetings), I was reminded about their specialty license plate fiasco.

We know a little about specialty license plates in America's Wang™, of course, since we have around a hundred of them. But at least when Florida is being blatantly political (read: wingnutty) on their license plates, they charge drivers an extra fee for displaying them.

Not so in Indiana. Hoosier drivers can get a lovely "In God We Trust" specialty plate (left) for no additional charge. Indeed, it's the only plate other than the generic plate that doesn't have an extra fee attached.

I've long been angered by the obvious right-wing slant by many of Florida's license plates, "Choose Life" being the most egregious among them. The obvious blurring of the line between church and state through Florida's "Choose Life" tag, though, is exacerbated in Indiana when there isn't even an extra fee charged. Essentially, this is blatant state-sponsored religion. As one Indiana resident told me yesterday, "you can't get any other religions" ... no "In Allah We Trust" or "In Gaea We Trust" or "In Satan We Trust." How much more blatant does it need to be before we get judicial intervention?

Perhaps Florida is more blatant? Our "Choose Life" tags do cost an extra $20, but the fees go to an Ocala-based organization called "Choose Life, Inc.," touting itself as a non-profit organization "which raises funds to support adoption efforts of Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Maternity Homes and not-for-profit adoption agencies." Sounds great, right?

Well, one look at the website reveals the real purpose of the plate:

Now, for a donation of $22 you are able to use this same method to "Take a Stand for Life," thanks to Marion County Commissioner Randy Harris. In 1996, Commissioner Harris had an idea to create a license plate to raise funds, and awareness, in support of women in crisis pregnancies who would commit to carrying their unplanned pregnancies to term and making an adoption plan for these babies, rather than opting for abortion. He began a grass roots campaign to raise $30,000 for the application fee that was required by the state to initiate the program. The Florida statute also required 10,000 signatures of people who commit to buying the plate if it becomes available. A non-profit corporation, Choose Life, Inc., was formed to raise the funds and secure the necessary signatures.

On February 4, 1997 the effort was launched and by March 1, 1997 the $30,000 application fee was delivered along with 14,500 signatures to the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. A completely volunteer effort, this was a remarkable accomplishment and is testimony to the grassroots support the Choose Life license plate had and to what people can achieve when they believe what they are doing is right. Choose Life, Inc. was headed by Randy Harris, Jim Steel and Russ Amerling, ably assisted by a small army of faithful helpers from Pensacola to Key West who brought the needs of women in crisis pregnancy situations to the attention of the Florida Legislature.

And the testimonials are even more open about this faith-based initiative, to the point that they aren't even called "testimonials" but, rather, the fundie term "testimonies."

One woman was trying to complete her college degree while she was pregnant. She had another child and was convinced the Lord wanted her to place this baby for adoption. We were able to help her with rent money and transportation costs.

[...]

Teresa (not her real name) arrived at the abortion clinic in Tampa and told her story to a counselor. She was coming to have an abortion and saw several Choose Life license plates on the 10 mile drive and then told Judy, the counselor out front “she was the sign and seal that what she was about to do was wrong…” She drove off knowing her future was going to be rough, but pretty well assured that God was going to use her in His plan.

[...]

We were so blessed by your ministry. Actually, our 3rd adopted child, Allyson Joy, joined our family partly due to your ministry of Choose Life license plates. After buying the plates for our cars almost 3 years ago, we received a note from Adoption by Shepherd Care thanking us for supporting adoption in Florida. Their letter touched us. Then last year, God brought this agency to our minds again when we felt God calling us to adopt another child. After meeting with them, we knew they were the agency for us. Several months later they placed our precious "gift of life" into our arms. "Ally" is now a 5 month old bundle of joy! We might not have ever known about their agency if we hadn't bought our Choose Life tags! God is so good!

Of course, I'm not saying that these people can't worship in the way they wish. But why must there be state resources allocated to their faith?

Apparently there was one unsuccessful judicial challenge to the "Choose Life" plates:

In November 1999, before the plate could go on sale, the National Organization for Women filed a lawsuit against the State of Florida to try to prevent them from distributing the Choose Life license plate. The suit languished in Palm Beach County for eight months, but was finally ordered sent to Tallahassee and the tags were finally released to the public on August 11, 2000. The court in Tallahassee finally ruled in favor of the plate in November 2003. However, because of the national publicity caused by the lawsuit, Choose Life, Inc. helped create Choose Life license plate initiatives in 46 states.

My guess, without having read the court's ruling, is that there was no showing that pro-choice advocates didn't have the same opportunity to get a license plate. Of course, reality is much different, in the same way that, say, a Wiccan license plate probably wouldn't get very far in the Indiana Legislature.

So, there it is. State-sanctioned religious fever -- catch it!