PANAMA CITY — God, grits and guns is one of the South’s default slogans.
So, when Bay County Sheriff Frank McKeithen decided to place “In God We Trust” bumper stickers on every marked patrol vehicle in the agency’s fleet last week, he received resounding approval from the community at large.
McKeithen said he chose the bumper sticker motto, which is also on the badge of every BCSO officer and is the state and national motto, for its general accessibility and ability to be loosely interpreted. So far, McKeithen said, he has received nothing but support from deputies toward the initiative.
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“It can be interpreted in many ways,” he said. “Just like the ACLU can be interpreted to mean ‘All Christians Love U.’ ”
McKeithen announced all BCSO vehicles would be adorned with stickers saying “In God We Trust” last week via social media. He also reported the stickers had been donated to BCSO by a local business.
In a casual glimpse over the replies to the announcement that followed, overwhelming support for the decision is evident. However, among the multitudes of approving responses, a few people expressed concern with the decision, citing the separation of church and state and the exclusion of certain individuals the message conveys. Officials with Florida’s chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said this minority group also should be represented by those who police and protect them.
“What the community needs to know is that the police will be there to protect them, not that the sheriff believes in a supreme being,” said Howard Simon, ACLU of Florida executive director. “It would have been better for Sheriff McKeithen to choose a motto that is both more inclusive and more appropriate for a law enforcement agency.
ACLU officials suggested McKeithen use the standard law enforcement slogan, “To protect and serve,” which doesn’t seem to demonstrate a religious preference.
“What is the message that the motto sends when put on police vehicles?” Simon added. “Will non-believers be made to feel that they have become second-class citizens? The police serve and protect believers as well as non-believers.”
But McKeithen said he chose the motto for its inclusiveness to achieve a goal of community adhesion. The motto is accepted widely as the national and state motto — it is on the majority, if not all, depictions of Florida’s seal — and it is already within the seals on the side of patrol vehicles.
The bumper sticker’s message in this context, McKeithen said, is intended to convey the sense that local law enforcement is principled and has moral values, a response to the negative view of police that has grown nationwide.
“I’ve been able to see a decline in how people see law enforcement,” he said. “As the sheriff of this county and a leader in this community, I began to think of better ways to restore that image. What better way to do that than something fresh to help us connect with the community.”
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ACLU officials disagreed, saying the message is exclusionary to a section of citizens. McKeithen said despite the fact that some people can interpret “In God We Trust” as being exclusionary, the stickers are there to stay.
One other Panhandle county sheriff’s office has followed suit with BCSO. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office also has begun placing the stickers on the bumpers of its marked patrol cruisers.
“I didn’t do it expecting everyone to agree,” McKeithen said. “I did it because I think it is important. It is not meant as disrespect to anyone.”