THIS is a follow-up on Ronda Storms, Ronda Storms, in which we reported about the brilliant work of two Florida legislators, Rapturous Senator Ronda Storms and her new sidekick, Gary Siplin — the first convicted felon to serve in the Florida Legislature — each of whom offered amendments to a bill so that Florida could issue “I Believe” and “Jesus” license plates.
An article in the St. Petersburg Times informs us: Siplin rethinking Jesus license plate. The bold was added by us:
Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, now says he’s thinking about taking the Jesus image off the proposed “Trinity” plate to benefit the Toomey Foundation for the Natural Sciences.
“Not that I don’t like the idea,” Siplin said. “I mean, I’m proud of Jesus.”
He’s proud of Jesus? That’s good to know. Let’s continue:
Siplin said the thought now is to make the plate say “Trinity” with maybe a “cross, and some nails and a dove, do the trinity.”
Ah, yes — cross, nails, dove — do the trinity!
Meanwhile …
We found an editorial, The Jesus tag: Please, senators, let’s not go there, which appears in the Tallahassee Democrat. Here are some excerpts, with bold added by us:
Right there where other specialty tags show a space shuttle or a manatee, where road grime accumulates and where exhaust fumes linger, that’s where state Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, would put the face of his “lord and savior Jesus Christ.”
Among all the bad ideas lawmakers have the capacity to come up with, Siplin’s “Trinity” plate (SB 2222 and 2326), or its cousin, the “I Believe” plate of Sen. Ronda Storms (SB 642), R-Valrico, are right up there at the top.
This is up there at the top of all the bad ideas legislature could come up with? They don’t know Rapturous Ronda very well. Let’s read on:
Ms. Storms’ license plate apparently would feature a cross over a stained-glass window. Mr. Siplin hasn’t been able to provide fellow legislators with an image of what his “Trinity” plate would look like, but assures them that “It has a picture of my lord and savior Jesus Christ.”
Would that be a solemn, bearded, white Jesus Christ? Or, as long as the state is wading deeply into the waters of religion, it could offer Jesuses of various shades — perhaps even one with dreadlocks.
These are important questions. There is much to ponder here. Let us continue:
Every vehicle on the road has many square yards of painted surface on which owners are free to display spiritual messages and pictures of Jesus, whatever he might have looked like. But that little square foot of state-supplied license plate is no place for such a specifically religious message.
But Ronda wants to control everything. She’s on a mission.
Here’s the editorial’s conclusion:
Senators Siplin and Storms should get the message. When it comes to the state of Florida’s license plates, stick to manatees and leave Jesus out of it.
Your Curmudgeon offers a compromise — how about a license plate with three manatees on it? In Siplin’s words: “Do the trinity.”
This session of the Florida legislature will end on 01 May. There’s not much time left for Storms and Siplin to accomplish their mighty works.
Copyright © 2009. The Sensuous Curmudgeon. All rights reserved.
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The Sensuous Curmudgeon 
Siplin said. “I mean, I’m proud of Jesus.”
But is Jesus proud of Gary Siplin?
Your Curmudgeon offers a compromise — how about a license plate with three manatees on it? In Siplin’s words: “Do the trinity.”
I’d prefer Newton, Darwin, and Einstein…
Since Storms is at least as committed to peddling pseudoscience as to peddling Jesus, she might be better off proposing a picture of a manatee and the caption “I don’t come from no manatee!”
The spam-filter is giving me fits today. Regular commenters are getting hung-up in moderation or sometimes dumped into the spam file. I’m doing what I can to check frequently. Don’t take any of these glitches personally.
Great Claw says: “I’d prefer Newton, Darwin, and Einstein…”
Yes, and you’ll be joining them in the Lake of Fire!
LOL
Then again, why are those who worship manatees allowed a plate but not those who worship the zombie 🙂
Ahem….
http://car54.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/charlie-crist-and-the-jesus-plate/
mai brane hurtz.