Statement by Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker
Co-Presidents
Freedom From Religion Foundation
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has written nearly 60 letters to various police and sheriffs’ departments since late July, responding to complaints by local citizens shocked at seeing “In God We Trust” decals popping up on official police or sheriff vehicles.
One such complaint was received from Childress, Texas. Our letter to the police chief there received widespread news coverage, The New York Times. So has the sheriff’s derisive reply to us: “Go fly a kite.”
We’ll proudly “go fly a kite,” and it will say “In REASON We Trust.”
Seeing a chance to pander, Texas State Rep. Chuck Perry has now asked the Texas Attorney General for an opinion on the constitutionality of “In God We Trust” on police vehicles:
“We are in the middle of a spiritual battle in American right now, with the issue of religious liberty front and center. I am proud of Childress Police Department for standing strong.”
The attorney general’s opinion is a fait accompli. We all know what the attorney general will rule: Congress adopted “In God We Trust” as a motto, therefore it’s not only fine, it’s patriotic for the Childress Police department to place it on its vehicles.
Piety or faith are not and should not be synonymous with patriotism. But godliness has been equated with good citizenship since this unconstitutional and misguided law passed in 1956.
The motto “In God We Trust” very obviously excludes the nearly quarter of “We the People” today who identify was nonreligious. Our numbers include members of the police force and sheriffs’ departments — one of whom has contacted FFRF because he’s so offended at having to drive around in a vehicle espousing a religious viewpoint that disrespects his own opinions. Other citizens have contacted us, fearful the nonreligious will become profiled, targets, especially those of us who sport irreverent bumper stickers on our cars.
Childress Police Chief Adrian Garcia first announced the decision to add the message on the force’s Facebook page, just as he later dissed FFRF on it. A news article noted that a local man’s two-word post, “Bad move,” was deleted five minutes he posted it, and then he was blocked. He told the Amarillo Globe News he saw other posts criticizing the decision, but they were also quickly removed.
“They’re the police for the entire community, not just the Christians,” Douglas Messer said. “I happen to know that there are a fair number of atheists in that town that would feel discriminated against.”
So we don’t just have endorsement of god belief by a police force, but now censorship and government suppression of dissenting views.
U.S. police forces need to quit impersonating the God Squad. Police don’t answer to their personal interpretation of “God’s law” — but to our civil laws. Police take an oath to uphold our godless and entirely secular constitution. It’s as inappropriate for them to sport a godly message as it would be to put on a decal saying “God Is Dead” or “Mohammed is the only true prophet.” Imagine the outcry if those words were spreading like wildfire on law enforcement vehicles!
It’s impossible not to suspect that this “God Squad” craze is more about circling the wagon than a sudden interest in promoting the national motto. FFRF first got complaints in July and August, as the headlines were dominated by outcries against police shootings of defenseless African Americans. Wrapping oneself in a mantle of piety’s a great way to deflect criticism.
Our message to phony police chiefs and sheriffs is the same as to phony politicians: It’s time to get off your knees and get to work.
Our country is becoming more diverse. The winds of change will lift our kite, “In Reason We Trust,” very high.
