A North Texas police chief has a message for angry atheists who are upset over his department's "In God We Trust" patrol vehicles: "Go fly a kite."
Childress Police Chief Adrian Garcia began putting "In God We Trust" decals on vehicles Sept. 2. The decision infuriated Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor, who wrote a letter requesting the motto be removed from the department's vehicles.
"After carefully reading your letter, I must deny your request in the removal of our nations [sic] motto from our patrol units, and ask that you and the Freedom From Religion Foundation go fly a kite," Garcia responded on Monday, KCBD-11 reported. He shared a screenshot of his reply on the Childress Police Department's Facebook page.
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Dan Barker, also co-president of the atheist group, told the Blaze Aug. 26 of his strong desire to sue over "In God We Trust"-adorned patrol vehicles. At the time he was referencing a Walton County, Florida, sheriff's decision to use the same kind of decals.
"We can’t predict what we’ll do next. Even if we wanted to sue, we have to have a plaintiff there who’s willing to sign on," Barker told the website. "We would love to sue over a case like this."
Sheriff Michael Adkinson of Walton County, Florida, was equally as defiant of the atheist group's demands.
"You are obviously unaware that 'In God We Trust' is the state motto of the state of Florida, and has been since 1886," Adkinson wrote the Freedom From Religion Foundation Aug. 5, the Blaze reported. "Additionally, it is the motto of the United States."