Texas is known for its love of guns and God, but trouble is brewing in the city of Kaufman, as the local police cars have been equipped with decals that read “In God We Trust.”
The phase is a staple on U.S. currency, but it hasn’t pleased a number of people who claim it’s a violation of the Constitution’s First Amendment and the separation of church and state.
According to ABC affiliate WFFA, the decision to use the motto was passed unanimously by the city council and most residents seem okay with it. Kaufman Police Chief Dana Whitaker also noted the decals were donated and no taxpayer money was spent on the project.
This hasn’t stopped critics who flooded the police department’s Facebook page with derogatory messages. The response was so overwhelming that the post was removed with a few hours.
Kaufman Mayor Jeff Jordan described the response as “disappointing”. “Of course we’ll be respectful of anyone’s view and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their own belief and, we respect that — I’m sad that it came to a point where they had to remove a Facebook post”, he added.
Yet, despite the backlash, the stickers will not be removed from the city’s squad cars – on the contrary, they’ll be added to fire trucks and animal control vehicles as well.