Monday, July 13, 2009

(Almost) Final Update on the "NO GODS" license plate

There's been a resolution to the "NO GODS" license plate. I don't have the letter I got from the BMV on me so I'll do another post tonight with the text from the letter, but the short version is that they 'suddenly' decided to do a review of all rejected plates, and it turns out the rejection of my plate was all just a big mistake.

I talked with the ACLU-IN last Friday, and their legal director said he had a message from the BMV stating pretty much the same thing, that it was all a big mistake with handling their new PLP rules that now allow religion (obviously, since i have photographic proof of one that reads "BE GODS." He's not sure how the BMV knew the ACLU-IN was involved, but it worked either way. My guess is as the story got circulated, the BMV got wind of it. The general consensus on Twitter seems to be that "it was a mistake" is code for "shit, we don't want to get sued."

So my 2010 Indiana license plate will read "NO GODS." I'm happy with the resolution to this. Hopefully this means that the BMV will be more diligent about applying their rules to PLPs in the future and someone else won't have to go through this. It means I probably won't be going on CNN, as doing that now would just be kind of dickish. But that's fine too. If it was still an issue to be fought I'd definitely still fight it. Now.. now I'm just happy that the Indiana BMV decided to appy their rules fairly.

Thanks to everyone on Twitter, Reddit and The Friendly Atheist for their support, ideas and most importantly spreading the story. I don't think it would have ended so easily without the story making the rounds like it did.

I'll post the text of the final letter from the BMV tonight, and once I get my plate of course I'll be posting a picture, but that won't be until next February.

Thanks everyone!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Congratulations, and well done for sticking up for yourself

mileszs said...

Awesome! It's nice to see things work out more or less as they should.

It probably will be disappointing to the Reddit community at large. They do love a loud, rowdy, vulgar 'net-fight.

jdb said...

Heh. yeah part of me was sort of hoping for a fight too, to embarass the BMV a little after making those stupid "In God We Trust" plates available. BUt I'm glad that I fought it and that the good guys won. Hopefully I was able to help some others who weren't so willing to fight, and clarify the rules just a bit within the BMV

Mojave66 said...

I'm in Indy (the City) every 3 months. If I ever meet you, I want to buy you a drink.

jdb said...

Mojave, well, it'll be obvious who I am on the road now won't it? :) NEver one to turn down a free drink! heh