Even though the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ is a common sight on dollar bills and at courthouses, it is not seen at the same frequency on sheriff cars, except in Lee County, Tennessee.
“My officers, every time they climb in that car, they do put their trust in God that they're going to be able to complete their shift and come home safe,” Gary Parsons, Lee County Sheriff, said last month.
As expected, these four words have caused some controversy along the way.
“If somebody wants to sue me over putting God on a car then I welcome the suit and would be glad to defend it,” Parsons said.
Even though the religious decal displayed on sheriff cars in Lee County is merely meant to serve as a symbol for the local administration, the issue has grown into a debate for some.
“Has the government in Lee County established an official religion by taking that motto, ‘In God We Trust,’ and putting it on their police cars?” Stewart Harris, professor at the Appalachian School of Law, asked. “People could challenge it and people could file a lawsuit saying this violates the first amendment.”
Harris explained that the phrase was chosen as the motto for the United States during the 1950s and so even though its use for government purposes may seem unconstitutional theoretically, in all practicality, the Supreme Court is likely to make every case in its favor.
“You have to put yourself in the shoes of the court,” said Harris. “It's kind of like declaring hot dogs and baseball unconstitutional. Do you think the Supreme Court would really like to do that? I don't think so.”
Parsons defended the religious decal, saying it is in no way a political ploy. When asked why he suddenly decided to opt for this particular phrase and no other, he said that he wanted to try it out after seeing it online. He also stressed that his idea has yielded positive results and so he has decided to meet with the town council at Pennington Gap with hopes that they too would carry a similar decal on their administrative cars. Parsons has served as the Sheriff of Lee County since 1996.
Photo Credits: Imgur
