When the state of Kentucky nixed a person’s personalised license plate about God for being vulgar, he mentioned the state was infringing on his rights. So, he sued, and the taxpayer must pay.
Bennie Hart — a self-described constitutional activist and atheist for the reason that age of 15, who claims that he’s God — wasn’t happy when he moved to Northern Kentucky and was informed that the license plate he had for 12 years in Ohio wouldn’t be accepted in his new state. That personalised plate learn, “I’m God.”
Though it was nice in Ohio, the place Hart drove across the state with the plate for over a decade with out a difficulty, Kentucky felt otherwise concerning the sentiments on the plate. In keeping with a letter Hart acquired from the Kentucky Transportation Cupboard, rejecting his software after he tried to get the plate modified following his transfer from Ohio, the personalization was denied as a result of it was vulgar and obscene.
“Customized plates are regulated by the Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) and Kentucky Administrative Laws (KAR). Your software for the personalised license plate IM GOD has been rejected as a result of it doesn’t meet the necessities of KRS 186.174 and 601 KAR 9:012. Part 5,” the letter defined. “These legal guidelines dictate {that a} personalised plate is probably not vulgar or obscene.” The Kentucky Transportation Cupboard later mentioned the plate was offensive to good style and decency, based on LEX18 Information.
Not one to be informed no and feeling the state had infringed upon his constitutional rights, Bennie Hart determined to face up towards the federal government. “I inform individuals, ‘Get up.’ The federal government will run throughout you should you allow them to. You realize should you roll over and play useless, they’ll roll over you,” the 80-year-old great-grandfather of three mentioned.
A retired postal employee, Hart added that he took an oath to uphold the Structure and it was his civic responsibility. “I believe the Structure is essentially the most sacred factor that’s ever been written. It ensures your proper to faith, speech, your proper to assemble,” Hart defined. “It’s only a lovely doc,” he added. In keeping with Hart, defending it’s in his blood. “My first cousin eight occasions eliminated is Thomas Jefferson,” he mentioned.
Hart fought the state for the proper to name himself “God” on his license plate and sued the commonwealth, enlisting the assist of the ACLU and the Freedom from Faith Basis to take up his case. After a 3 yr authorized battle, he received in court docket, the place a federal choose agreed that the state had infringed upon his rights. Saying that denying him the license plate is a violation of the First Modification, the choose dominated in Hart’s favor, and taxpayers must foot the invoice.
In keeping with the federal choose, Kentucky has to pay Hart’s authorized charges, WKRC reported. And, that can price the commonwealth greater than $150,000 — a steep value that will likely be paid by the taxpayers. All Bennie will get out of it’s his plates — which he now sports activities on each the back and front of his car — and bragging rights, however he hopes the authorized struggle supplies others a lesson in civics.
As for the theologically questionable message on his license plate, declaring that he’s God, Bennie Hart mentioned, “I’ve been an atheist since I used to be 15,” including, “I can show I’m God. You may’t show that I’m not. I’ve bought a $100 invoice I’ve carried for 20 years for the primary individual that may show I’m not God, and I nonetheless bought it.” He additionally defined that his objective is to “evoke a dialog,” spreading a political and philosophical message that religion is vulnerable to individualized interpretation, WPLG Native 10 reported after an earlier interview:
Bennie Hart additionally made positive to inform reporters that “one of many previous definitions of God is a really good-looking man, his spouse calls him a really good-looking man, and no person argues together with his spouse.” The reporter jokingly added, “I met her at this time, and he’s proper.” Certainly, Bennie Hart is true — not about being God, however about his constitutional rights and the necessity to defend them. Sadly, this was a trainwreck Kentucky ought to have noticed coming, and they might have saved taxpayers some cash.
You don’t have to love the license plate or consider Bennie Hart is God to grasp that it’s his authorized, First Modification proper to say so. We should always all additionally be capable of agree that if our constitutional rights are abused, we must always rise up and defend them. And, the true measure of being in favor of free speech is a willingness to assist speech with which you don’t agree.
