State mottos

I just read this story about an atheist group trying to change a Kentucky law that "requires Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security to acknowledge it can't keep the state safe without God's help". Some of the comments from the atheist group are laughable, the worst being:

It is one of the most egregiously and breathtakingly unconstitutional actions by a state legislature that I've ever seen".

Guys, I'm on your side, but you lost me with that one. I find the language distasteful, too, but don't equate it with state laws that tangibly impinge on civil liberties.

Part of Kentucky's defense is that the state motto refers to God (this is an example of what we like to call "begging the question"). The state actually has 2 mottos. The "Offical Motto" has been United we stand, divided we fall since 1942. In 2002 they added an "Offical Latin Motto", Deo gratiam habeamus (Let us be grateful to God). The bill was the project of a group of home schooled latin students:

The bill, HB 857, was the project of a group of Lexington homeschool Latin students. They wrote the bill with help from State Rep. Tom Riner, (D-Louisville) the bill's sponsor. Several of the students came to Frankfort once a week to meet with legislators, and guided it through the process themselves, learning about state government as they went along. The bill passed with votes of 88-0 in the House and 29-0 in the Senate with several members from each chamber not voting. Signed April 11 into Law by Governor Patton.

Not a single dissenting vote. Not surprising, I suppose, but disappointing this happened as recently as 2002. The whole thing seems pretty laughable to me (got a big Latin-speaking population there, Kentucky?). Clearly a sideways attempt to get religious language into state laws.

I don't really have much else to say about this. But it did make me curious about state mottos, so I looked them up on wikipedia. Only 6 states explicitly mention "God", Kentucky plus:

• Arizona - Ditat Deus (God enriches)
• Colorado - Nil sine numine (Nothing without God's will)
• Florida - In God We Trust
• Ohio - With God, all things are possible
• South Dakota - Under God the people rule

Two others make what are apparently references to a supreme being:

• Connecticut - Qui transtulit sustinet (He who transplanted sustains)
• Maine - Dirigo (I direct)

I'm surprised there are so few. Of course, I found many of the ones that did not reference God more inspirational. But, it seems to me the secular ones would be just as inspirational to anybody, regardless of religious beliefs. Even when I was a Christian, I would have preferred strong sentiments like "We Dare Defend Our Rights" (Alabama) or "The people rule" (Arkansas) to the passive (and not terribly related to the role of state) "God enriches" or "In God we trust".

A few interesting ones:

• Kansas - Ad astra per aspera (To the stars through adversity)
  It would make a better motto for Starfleet Academy. It would be cooler if Kansas had anything to do with NASA or space exploration.
• Michigan - Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you)
  This one just cracked me up.
• New Mexico - Crescit eundo (It grows as it goes)
  Was Dr. Seuss from New Mexico? It grows as it goes, as everyone knows, from Carlsbad Caverns to Los Alamos. Probably doesn't rhyme in Latin.
• Washington - Al-ki (By and by)
  If brevity is wit ...
• Maryland - Fatti maschi, parole femmine (Manly deeds, womanly words)
  This is the worst one of all. It's clearly offensive to women, but I'm almost as offended as a man. What the heck is wrong with manly words?

My favorites:

• Massachusetts - Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem (By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty)
  Are you listening, G. W.?
• Minnesota - Quae sursum volo videre (I long to see what is beyond)
  The star of the North is the actual state motto. This is the territorial motto, but I like it better.
• New York - Excelsior (Ever upward!)
  To infinity, and beyond!
• North Carolina - Esse quam videri (To be rather than to seem)
  Both poetic and intellectually satisfying.

In the spirit of manly words that, apparently, aren't welcome in Maryland, my winner goes to ....

• New Hampshire - Live Free or Die

Hell, yeah.