I Believe they just don't get it by Warner M. Montgomery Warner@TheColumbiaStar.com The legislature wrote it, the governor signed it, and the lieutenant governor says he will finance I Believe license plates for South Carolina cars. "It is only a way for drivers to express their beliefs. It is freedom of speech," they say.

The First Amendment of the Constitution says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…

Our leaders must have thought that if they voted against the License Plate Bill, they would be considered anti-Christian. But surely they understand it is a violation of the Constitution and will most certainly face a court challenge. The government plate on the personal car sends the message that South Carolina is a Christian state and that the state is endorsing religion.

If this law passes judicial scrutiny, there will soon be I Believe plates with Crosses, Stars of David, Crescents, Buddhas, Ying Yangs, and Lord knows what else. The government, through its required tags, will be identifying citizens by religion and fostering sectarian road rage that will soon follow. "I'm a Christian, you're a Muslim. Get out of my way, fool!"

Americans United for Separation of Church and SI tBaet leie hvaes already filed a federal lawsuit to prevent the plates from reaching the cars. The signers are a Methodist pastor, an evangelical Christian pastor, a humanist pastor, a rabbi, and a Hindu group. They say the plates will cheapen the Christian message and hope to keep the I Believe crosses from seeing the light of day.

I agree. If someone is so insecure with their religious beliefs that they have to screw its symbol to their car, then they have very shallow beliefs.

The DMV will follow the wishes of our legislature and governor and proceed to produce the plates until told to do otherwise by the courts.