One activist in Florida is planning to send hundreds of signs
with the message, in God we trust, written in Arabic.
And the plan is to send this to public schools in Texas following
the implementation of a pretty absurd law that I'm pretty sure would be
considered unconstitutional if our Supreme Court wasn't overtaken by
a right wing theocratic zealots.
But nonetheless, following the passage of Senate Bill 797 last year, schools in
Texas are now required to display signs with the national motto, in God we trust,
in a public space if the sign is donated or paid for by private donations.
The sign must also include the US and Texas flags centered underneath.
Now, this is an obvious attempt to force conservative christian values
in public schools and right wingers have already taken advantage of it.
For example, last week, a christian conservative wireless provider,
Patriot Mobile, donated in God we trust posters to South Lake schools.
The Grapevine based company is tied to a political action committee that spent
big money to support conservatives in North Texas school board races this year.
And was a sponsor of the state Republican convention in June.
Now, one person had a clever idea and we go back to the activist here.
And this is an activist in Florida who decided, no,
I'm gonna use this new law to our advantage to make a point.
Earlier this week, Chaz Stevens, great name, an activist in Florida,
began donating hundreds of in God we trust posters in Arabic to Texas schools.
Stevens is the founder of Mount Jab Church of Mars,
a group advocating for the separation of church and state,
he said the posters directly translate to the national motto just in Arabic.
And so let's go to this tweet where you'll see an example of what the signs
will look like.
We really could use your help in our quest to battle Texas' latest law,
in God we trust signs in public schools.
Our project will send hundreds of these posters across the Lone Star State.
We really need your help, stand with us today.
Now this GoFundMe, which is titled, messing with Texas,
has already raised over $13,000 as we talk about it today.
The number could be higher by the time you look at the site.
The goal, though, is a quarter million dollars and
Stevens says the money will go toward the Arabic language posters.
So, he also hired a professional translator based in the Middle East to
ensure that the Arabic is correct and there aren't any mistakes here.
But, of course, you already have some lawmakers like senator Bryan Hughes
who's saying, no, this can't stand, there are rules here.
He says read the sign or read the bill, sign must contain in God we trust,
US flag, Texas' flag, and may not depict any other words or images.
Print what you like, but only these signs qualify under the law.
But as many people, including Chaz, have pointed out,
the signs don't contain other words, just translated words.
And there's absolutely nothing in the legislation banning what Chaz Stevens is
trying to do here.
And he says, according to the statute, signs may not depict any words, images or
other information other than the representations listed within
the regulation.
I would presume if Texas wanted to rule out Arabic, Farsi or,
hell, even binary, they could have written that into law.
Big bummer if I got just out gotcha, the gotchas jink.
>> So, I love this story in so many ways.
Now, theoretically,
there's no reason why you should object to it being in Arabic, why?
I'm asking a little question.
If you're a Republican in Texas, what's wrong with in God we trust in Arabic?
Right, that's cuz you're a racist.
So let's just be clear about that, right?
There's nothing actually wrong with it.
It's saying exactly what you wanted it to say.
That you might prefer it in your own language, I get that, that's clear, right?
There's nothing wrong with it in a different language, right?
Would you be horribly offended if it said in
God we trust in French or German or Norwegian?
Why would you be offended by that?
What a weird thing to be offended by.
So why are you offended it's in Arabic?
Again, it's super obvious that you're racist and
that's why this is an awesome gotcha, okay?
And secondly, the word God in Arabic,
you might know it, it's Allah.
All that means is God, it's not a different god,
it's not a God named Allah, it's just God, right?
And so it does technically say in Allah we trust.
But that's what you wanted, we didn't want it, we're secular,
we don't want religion and state mixing.
But you guys said you do want religion and state mixing and that they had to take
it if it was donated to them by a private interest and it said in God we trust.
Well, you gotta live with your own law.
It is what it is, a sad day for you.
>> Yeah, and honestly, if you're gonna pass legislation that allows for
religious expressions on public land or public property,
then you have to be inclusive.
So, again, be careful what you wish for.
Cenk, it reminds me a little bit of the story regarding book bands in Texas and
how the bible ended up getting banned in one school district and
the right wing was crying about it.
>> I mean, there's some pretty nasty stuff in the bible that maybe kids shouldn't be
reading, am I right?
Yeah, I mean, they said, we're banning these books and
any book that has this kind of sexual content.
And then people on the left were like, well, look at the bible,
it's got way worse sexual content.
And they were forced to ban it and then they were like, goddammit!
Now how's that for ironic, okay?
So now they literally might be forced to have in
Allah we trust all over Texas schools.
>> That's right.
>> We told you you shouldn't combine state and church, you should have listened.