Ohio License Plate Features The American Flag
The state of Ohio has just poked a stick in the eye of the activist atheist community. Ohio Governor Bob Taft just signed into law a bill authorizing the production of a new license plate that features the American flag as the background and the words "One Nation Under God."
The ACLU, which is the nation’s leading atheism support group, will no doubt be mounting a challenge to this latest affront to atheistic sensibilities.
It’s important to note here that this is only one of about 60 specialty license plates that Ohio offers for an additional fee. The point is that the only people who will be driving around with this plate affixed to their cars are the people who want to. It’s more or less like having a bumper sticker. Since it’s not mandatory that Ohio motorists buy this particular plate, it will be hard to make the case that the American flag with the religious message of "One Nation Under God" is an official endorsement of religion by the state of Ohio.
Earlier in the year, the ACLU tried to block another specialty plate issued by Ohio with the words, "Choose Life." The Supreme Court in January, had already declined to hear cases dealing with license plates with a pro-life message. Eleven states currently offer plates with a pro-life message.
Again using the First Amendment as a tool to silence Americans with opposing view points, the ACLU in collusion with an activist Federal judge, framed the argument as a violation of First Amendment rights in the South Carolina case that the Supreme Court refused to hear.
The ACLU coined the phrase "viewpoint descrimination" to explain how a license plate might possibly violate someone’s free speech rights. The idea is that since a license plate is available with the message "Choose Life" but not available with the message, "Choose Abortion," the free speech rights of the pro-abortion people have been trod upon.
The similar argument will no doubt be made in the case of the American flag with "One Nation Under God." The state of Ohio is discriminating against those with an opposing viewpoint. Perhaps the ACLU will question why the state of Ohio doesn’t offer a plate with the Anarchist flag as the background and the message, "Abolish Borders - And Stop Talking About God."
The atheists who are waging this battle aren’t interested in the religious aspect of this. They view religion as politics just as they view every other issue as political. That’s why there is so much hatred directed towards the American flag. It’s viewed as a symbol of an America that they hate - an America in which the vast majority profess to be Christian and believe the United States should remain a sovereign country.