Military Sponsors NASCAR…and Religious Complaint?
Few things go together as well fast cars and fighter jets. The US military knows this, which is why the Air National Guard is sponsoring a car in NASCAR this year. The ANG will be the primary sponsor of the Latitude 43 team’s #26 for five races.
If this sounds vaguely familiar, it should. The MRFF’s David Miller complained of the military’s support for NASCAR just a few months ago, apparently because of its ‘overt Christianity.’
Interestingly, Latitude 43’s #26 already has several other sponsors, including Sacred Power, a Native American spirituality-themed energy company. Sacred Power’s logo — which appears to be derived from the Thunderbird, from Native American spiritual belief — is just below the ANG’s pitch on the side of the car:
It is unclear when Miller will complain or Michael Weinstein will file a lawsuit over the US military’s “unConstitutional support” of Native American spiritualism, as indicated by its association with the symbol. Surely Weinstein will be convinced this endangers American troops…somehow. Given Weinstein’s lack of consistency, a lawsuit or complaint won’t likely appear any time soon. Think their reaction would be the same if it was a cross, an icthus, or a Bible reference?
In a final irony, Sacred Power is headquartered a mere 10 miles from Weinstein.
For the record, of course the military can sponsor any car it chooses. It makes such decisions on a public relations basis, not on whether some conspiracy theorist thinks the Constitution prohibits NASCAR sponsorships.