Republican state Sen. Jake Hoffman strong-armed a bill through the Senate Government Committee that would prohibit the display of “satanic memorials, statues, altars or displays, or any other method of representing or honoring Satan” on public property in Arizona.
I know what you’re thinking. It was our first thought, too:
Poor Sparky.
My empathetic colleague Laurie Roberts pictured a disconsolate Arizona State University mascot seated woefully on the side of the road – far away from campus – holding a sign reading, “Will do pushups for food.”
In arguing for Senate Bill 1279 Hoffman said, “It is a desecration of our public property in the United States of America and in the state of Arizona for a satanic display, memorial, altar, etc., to be on public property.”
The bill passed 5-1. The only Democrat in attendance, Sen. Juan Mendez, voted against it, puzzled that his colleagues didn’t sense any constitutional issues with the proposal.
3 separate clauses of First Amendment put at risk
Arizona Capitol Media’s Howard Fischer quoted one citizen at the meeting, Micah Mangione, who expressed those concerns quite succinctly, saying, “I am genuinely impressed that in only 25 words this bill seems to violate three separate clauses of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.”
That would be prohibiting the government from establishing a religion, barring government interference with the free exercise of religion, and guaranteeing the right to free speech.
That is all well and good, of course. And 100% correct.
But what about poor Sparky?
Back to being the Arizona State Bulldogs?
And will ASU now have to go back to the school’s original mascot, the bulldog, since a Sun Devil on public property would be outlawed?
No more devil’s trident on football helmets or sports uniforms, T-shirts, gym trunks, socks, shoes, hats and on and on?
Would the three-fingered “fork ‘em” salute be outlawed?
Hoffman, who describes himself first as a Christian, said at the meeting, “It is legally and constitutionally suspect to argue that Satan, someone who is universally known to be an explicit enemy of God, is somehow a religion. That is an absolutely ludicrous statement to make.”
I understand how Hoffman, and others, might feel that way.
As we know, the devil is in the details
But the Internal Revenue Service has recognized the Satanic Temple as a religion, which affords it the same status as other religions.
As a ‘fierce defender of the Constitution,’ which Hoffman also claims to be, you’d think he might know that.
You’d also think that Hoffman, who boasts a bachelor of science degree from Arizona State University, would have thought of the dire implications his bill could have to everything Sun Devil.
But you know what they say in politics: The devil is in the details.
Besides, I’d guess that Sparky need not worry. In the unlikely case that Hoffman’s bill actually makes to the desk of Gov. Katie Hobbs, who earned a graduate degree in social work from ASU, the Sun Devil in her would stick a fork in it.
Reach Montini at ed.montini@arizonarepublic.com.
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