"In God We Trust" Still Important In Edmonson County

by Darren Doyle
In 1956, The United States of America turned the phrase "In God We Trust" into the official motto of the nation, under the direction of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. However, the phrase has been seen on U.S. coins since 1864. It was first printed on paper money in 1957.

Obviously, a lot of things have changed since the 50's. Some will say that's good, some will say bad. No matter what view you have of those changes, it's probably safe to say that we'd be better off in 2016 if we all spent more time whistling the theme song from the Andy Griffith Show, instead of trying to keep up with Kardashians.

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"In God We Trust" lettering on Sheriff's Department vehicle. (ECSO)

In September of 2015, Sheriff Shane Doyle decided it would be a good idea to include the phrase on all of his department vehicles. In a world where the phrase and related subject matter are becoming less and less popular, folks in Edmonson County seem to embrace it, rather than exclude it.

"I saw the idea used at a department in Florida, and I felt like at this time in our society, we needed to show where we stood, said Sheriff Doyle. "Also, I loved the idea of putting our National motto on our vehicles."

In some American towns, somebody would've already had a lawsuit filed before the lettering had dried, but some things still work quite differently in Edmonson County. 

"I've received tons of support, both from inside law enforcement, and from the community," Doyle said. 

Same motto lettered on a Brownsville Police cruiser. (BPD)

Not long after the sheriff's office vehicles were lettered with the phrase, the Edmonson County Jailer cars and Brownsville City Police vehicles also followed suit.

Doyle said it certainly wasn't about getting recognition for the action, nor trying to poke at people who might not like the phrase, but rather to embrace an idea that a large majority of Edmonson County have made part of their lives.

"Edmonson County has always been full of good people. There are a ton of good churches and organizations here, and we have good schools and kids. There's a reason for that, and I believe that it's mainly because people are proud of who they are, and are willing to stand up for what they believe in," Doyle added. "People here are not perfect, and neither am I, but I'm proud of our county, and I believe that the phrase represents the majority of our people."