Tuesday, March 19, 2002
When 10 Floridians notified the Florida Division of Motor Vehicles that they objected to the "atheist" license plate that the car of one state resident bore, the bureaucracy leaped into action, demanding that the plate be returned herewith. In calling the word atheist objectionable or obscene, someone at the Florida DHSMV must be itching for a First Amendment fight. Would "frespch" be off limits, too?
Insane: Now, the Sunshine State promotes plates that read, for example, "Choose Life," the "Tampa Bay Devil Rays," "large mouth bass," the "Girl Scouts" and the "Boy Scouts" and "Share the Road" -- regardless of objections anyone might have. In fact, most expressions of religion or almost anything else are perfectly acceptable to the language police in the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, except those that are considered obscene or objectionable like "redneck," "insane" and "xeq-shne."
Reasonable people recognize that scatalogical and sexual references, certain body parts and hate messages are what the law seeks to limit -- not legitimate expressions of faith, or in this case, lack of faith.
It's understandable that many of those who believe in a supreme being are stunned by those who do not, but that doesn't give them the right to censor the word "atheist."
Steven Miles has displayed his license plate for 16 years without protest or complaint. But the Gainesville, Fla., man has received word of a reprieve -- at least until the DMV forms a committee to review questionable tags. Let's hope that some folks with common sense are on that panel.