More license plate madness

Hey, remember the "I BELIEVE" license plate about which I rather vehemently ranted a year ago? It didn't make it through the Legislature last year ... but it's back, sponsored once again by none other than state Sen. Ronda Storms (R-Batshit Crazy Land).

Only this time, it has a companion plate that might be -- if possible -- even more objectionable:

Jesus H. Christ on a Florida license plate, it's Jesus H. Christ on a Florida license plate! Just in case "I BELIEVE" (see below) wasn't unconstitutionally insipid enough, now we've got this one to, um, hammer the last nail into the separation of church and state ... so to speak ...

The Florida Senate preliminarily approved these plates, among others, on Friday, but final authorization has a few hoops left through which to jump. There still needs to be a vote by the full Senate, which is pretty much the only hope of preventing this travesty since the overwhelmingly wingnut state House is almost certain to jump on the Christianist bandwagon for this one; likewise Republican Gov. Charlie Crist.

The floor debate on the Jesus plate got a little interesting:

Boca Raton lawyer Ted Deutch repeatedly asked [plate sponsor Sen. Gary] Siplin, a fellow Democrat, to describe the image on the license plate.

“The Trinity license plate has the picture of my lord and savior Jesus Christ on it,” Siplin, D-Orlando, said.

Proceeds from the tag will go to the Toomey Foundation, a natural sciences organization.

The chamber also approved the “I Believe” license plate that features a cross on a stained-glass background.

Deutch, who is Jewish, argued that religious symbols of any type don’t belong on license plates produced by the state.

Well, that's not just an argument, as Sen. Deutch well knows -- that's constitutional law, specifically the First Amendment, which forbids laws "respecting the establishment of a [state] religion." In other words, Sen. Siplin, regardless of whether or not you think He ought to be, Jesus is not everyone's "lord and savior." Ergo, ixnay on the ateplay with the ucifixioncray, you dig? (And are you sure you don't want to reconsider that "D" after your name?)

The "I BELIEVE" plate (right) ultimately failed to get to the governor's desk last year, and both of these heinously Christianist plates deserve the same fate this year. If not, I'm sure some lawyers will be getting phone calls very soon ... and I'd love to write some pleadings and briefs for that one!

UPDATE (1:30 pm 4/27/09): Some of my blogfriends are taking the plate and running with it, so to speak.

First, this gem from Firefox, with the obligatory fashion accessory:

Meanwhile, Blue Gal already has personalized the plate in a special -- and appropriate -- way.

Remember, I don't make 'em up ... I just share 'em. ;)