Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post Search
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Kentucky School District Finds A Brilliant Loophole For The “In God We Trust” Law By Framing A One-Dollar Bill
49

Kentucky School District Finds A Brilliant Loophole For The “In God We Trust” Law By Framing A One-Dollar Bill

ADVERTISEMENT

When you’re a lawmaker, you have no other choice than to sort out all of the nuances of the laws that you’re preparing to enact before they actually hit the public. Otherwise, there’s going to be a group of people who will look at it from a “think outside the box” perspective and will find loopholes to take advantage of.

Now, sometimes it’s a serious case that requires repeals and amendments to the legalese, but in other instances, it can be quite harmless and even interestingly funny.

If a law requires you to put up a “In God We Trust” sign in your school, a dollar bill works, right?

Image credits: Brittany Pike

Last year, Kentucky State passed a law that requires all public elementary and secondary schools to display the national motto of the United States—“In God We Trust”—in a prominent location somewhere in the school building. This law was filed by Brandon Reed, a State Representative and Republican Minister from Hodgenville.

It was explained that a prominent location can be a school entryway, cafeteria, or any other common area where students are likely to see the motto. Also, schools were allowed to choose the form in which the motto would be displayed, and it is not limited to being a mounted plaque or even student artwork.

Due to a lack of proper wording in the legislation itself, schools were effectively left with near-full liberty to do whatever they wanted in meeting this law. So a number of schools in Fayette County, Kentucky decided to frame and hang a pristine one dollar bill in whatever “prominent location” they found best suited for this.

Surprisingly, it does, as a number of schools did so because the law technically permitted it with the dollar bill containing the famous motto in the center

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Josh Douglas

Image credits: Unknown

You see, besides the various imagery, symbolism, and writing printed on the one-dollar bill, the back side also contains the country’s motto “In God We Trust.” Since the law did not explain how big the writing should be, or what form it should come in, the schools thus decided to use the dollar bill as the medium for the public display of the motto.

Brittany Pike, a resident of Lexington, Fayette County, stumbled upon one such display and snapped a picture of it, which she later shared on her Facebook with the following caption:

“This school year, Kentucky began requiring schools to place ‘In God We Trust’ in the building. I absolutely love living in a school district that wants to follow the law while also ensuring EVERY student feels welcomed back regardless of religious beliefs. Thank you so very much, Fayette County Public Schools, for simply posting a dollar with ‘In God We Trust.’ My kids don’t feel awkward or excluded for not believing in any God.”

Due to a lack of proper wording, the law has also permitted a number of other artistic interpretations, and it’s not just in Kentucky

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Katy Urban/Rapid City Area Schools

Image credits: Simons Middle School in Flemingsburg.

This does pull up a good point: while it’s all fine and dandy to be proud of who you are and of your faith, this does come off as forcing religion in a country that gives full liberty to decide whether to be a person of faith (and also which faith) or not.

Regardless, you should hand it to the schools—it was quite an interesting move to venture away from the beaten path of plaques and student posters and to conform to the written letter, but not really the spirit, of what the law requires.

This also gives way for much more interpretation and an outlet for the schools’ stance on the motto: is it a form of protest and an allusion to a free America, or is it the schools’ way of saying that their students are #1 and their teachers need a raise?

While some schools involved their students, others took the lazy way out and just put up a printout

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Trey Crumbie

Image credits: Green County High School

Representative Brandon Reed has since then heard of the news and has said that he was not surprised to see schools taking the “loophole way out” by doing the minimum. He elaborated that this was OK, but it was just sad to see, as this is the nation’s motto, after all, and there is nothing to be ashamed of.

The dollar bill soon began making headlines when a resident of Lexington, Fayette County posted it on her Facebook

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Trey Crumbie

A number of other schools also took liberties (albeit more conservative) to display the country’s motto, which you can find featured in this article. But before you check them out, why not let us know what your thoughts are on this? If you were a school rep, how would you have your school comply with this law? Let us know in the comments section below!

Image credits: Larue County High School

Rep. Brandon Reed expected this and said it was OK, but it was also sad that schools willingly decided to put up a dollar bill instead of giving it a proper representation

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: Monroe County Area Technology Center

Share on Facebook
You May Like
Popular on Bored Panda
Hey pandas, what do you think?
Add photo comments
POST
tejeda187 avatar
Andres Tejeda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Public schools should be secular, since they are tax payer funded. If they are allowed to do this then other religions should be able to put up things as well like "In Ganesh we trust, In Satan we trust, or in Thor we serve." These laws are just the conservative Christians trying to slowly turn our secular republic to a theocracy.

joranquinten avatar
Joran Quinten
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd send my kids to the Thor version on the back of a Sleipnir ride for sure!

Load More Replies...
veritech-pilot avatar
onitsuka
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a "relatively" new motto...stemming only back to 1956. The original motto of "E Pluribus Unum" (from many, one) was far superior.

bp_10 avatar
WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, "From many one" is so meaningful: From many states one nation, from many individuals one community , from many people one society. Beats: "In god we trust" by miles.

Load More Replies...
sammyanne1_sh avatar
Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This law doesn't seem legal and is ultimately disturbing.

meghanhibicke avatar
Evil Little Thing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not compliant with the first amendment in that Kentucky state Congress made a law abridging the freedom of non-Christians to not be subjected to this kind of drivel. The Flying Spaghetti Monster calls for us Pastafarians to dress as pirates, therefore I require yall to do so starting now. Comply or walk the plank, mateys!

Load More Replies...
Load More Comments
tejeda187 avatar
Andres Tejeda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Public schools should be secular, since they are tax payer funded. If they are allowed to do this then other religions should be able to put up things as well like "In Ganesh we trust, In Satan we trust, or in Thor we serve." These laws are just the conservative Christians trying to slowly turn our secular republic to a theocracy.

joranquinten avatar
Joran Quinten
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd send my kids to the Thor version on the back of a Sleipnir ride for sure!

Load More Replies...
veritech-pilot avatar
onitsuka
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a "relatively" new motto...stemming only back to 1956. The original motto of "E Pluribus Unum" (from many, one) was far superior.

bp_10 avatar
WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, "From many one" is so meaningful: From many states one nation, from many individuals one community , from many people one society. Beats: "In god we trust" by miles.

Load More Replies...
sammyanne1_sh avatar
Helen Haley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This law doesn't seem legal and is ultimately disturbing.

meghanhibicke avatar
Evil Little Thing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's not compliant with the first amendment in that Kentucky state Congress made a law abridging the freedom of non-Christians to not be subjected to this kind of drivel. The Flying Spaghetti Monster calls for us Pastafarians to dress as pirates, therefore I require yall to do so starting now. Comply or walk the plank, mateys!

Load More Replies...
Load More Comments
Popular on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda