License plates are the latest installment

By Scott Ritcher, Published in LEO Weekly, July 30, 2008, in response to Gov. Beshear's proposal to make Kentucky license plates available with the slogan "In God We Trust" (C-J article)

I am always amazed by the amount of time people in Frankfort are able to dedicate to irrelevant issues that serve only to divide us, rather than focusing on the unsatisfied basic needs of Kentuckians.

What will Jesus be most impressed with, our colorful license plates or the one-in-six Kentuckians living in poverty?

Yet instead of serious programs to eliminate the same depressed conditions that embarrassed Kentucky in 1960's documentaries, we've seen a pattern of behavior in Frankfort, of legislators more interested in advertising their religious beliefs than in showing them through actions.

Not only do I believe license plates with religious messages could easily be argued illegal if someone sued the state over it (see KRS 186.164 9C, the law governing specialty plates), but here we are, again, talking about something that serves only to sway elections and is of no consequence to the real lives of people in Kentucky. Can we just get over it and concentrate on what we all share in common?

People of all political parties and religious affiliations (and those who prefer neither) all want the same things. We all want good schools. We all want safe streets. We all want low taxes, fair wages, job security, affordable energy, good roads, and accurate elections. We all want to know someone will take care of us if we get sick or hurt. The list is really staggering and yet we have been able to accomplish so little of the common objectives we all have.

And while some of us may want to live in a state that officially endorses the Christian God, none of us want to continue living in a state where one in five families lives on less than $300 a week. Sooner or later, people must realize that the constant airing of personal religious beliefs is a distraction that gets in the way of what we all need.

If you're not gay, it doesn't hurt you if gay people get married. They are not you. If you don't like gambling, that doesn't mean everyone else should have to do without it. If you don't drink beer, it's still okay for liquor stores to exist in your county.

Truly compassionate (read: Christlike) work that would substantially help people could get done in this state if we weren't so concerned about the face we put on it. Gov. Beshear and the rest in Frankfort should show us with deeds, not words.

Note: Under KRS 186.164 9C (PDF link), any group applying for specialty plates must conform to a design that "shall not discriminate against any race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and shall not be construed, as determined by the [Transportation Cabinet], as an attempt to victimize or intimidate any person due to the person's race, color, religion, sex, or national origin."

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