By Dawn Burleigh

dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com

 

Emergency vehicles for the city of Orange will soon have decals “In God We Trust” added after City of Orange Council Member District 1 Patrick A. Pullen asked the council to consider approving the placement of the wording on city vehicles during the Tuesday morning meeting.

Pullen quoted from Attorney General Opinion No. KP-0042 concerning the motto during his presentation for the decals.

A summary of the opinion reads: A court is likely to conclude that a law enforcement department’s display of the national motto, “In God We Trust,” on its patrol vehicles is permissible under the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution.

The opinion is dated November 4, 2015.

The motto will be placed on all city vehicles.

“We will start on the emergency vehicles first,” Pullen said. “We will not use taxpayers money for this. We are asking for donations.”

Pullen also suggested the Department Heads were to determine the script and style of the motto for the vehicles.

“Others have done this, including locally the city of Pinehurst,” Pullen said. “I feel we should too. It is our national motto, it is how we were raised and we need to go back to it.”

Council Member District 3 Essie Bellfield felt so strongly for the decals, she attended the meeting while ill.

“I am sick. I am here to vote for it,” Bellfield said. “I think we should put it wherever we can do it.”

One council member said the easy step was approving the sticker.

“We need to think about what this really means to us,” Council Member District 2 Dr. Wayne Guidry said. “I will be the first person to donate and I am willing to put it in my car. We need to think about what takes place on the streets, at work. The real battle starts afterwards.”

Guidry has been involved in missionary work while living abroad.

Pullen said he see about decals for citizens as well.