Ten Commandments

Heather Elliott

Sept. 02, 2003

The Ten Commandments monument should be removed is because it was put there dishonestly. If the circumstances of this situation were different, in that case I would agree that the Ten Commandments monument should stay. Then I take into consideration how the monument ended up in the public courthouse, and I can see why it should be removed. Perhaps the monument should not go away where it will never be seen again, but taken to a place where it can be seen by anyone that wishes.

At the beginning of this whole ordeal, I was right beside those who protested the removal of the monument. I thought about the First Amendment right: Freedom of Religion. Chief Justice Moore and his anonymous helpers took it upon themselves to put the monument there. But after I found out how the monument was placed there without consent of the court. This gave me one good reason why the monument should be moved.

The next reason I think it should be moved is for the very reason that it is in a public courthouse. Yes, the first amendment does protect Freedom of Religion but whose religion? It doesn't state any religion, whether the religion is Christianity, Buddhism, or paganism. Each and every one of us is entitled to the freedom of our own religion. This is a public courthouse where people of all religions come for justice. So another reason why it should be moved is because someone who comes to the courthouse might be offended by the Ten Commandments because they are of another religion.

Also, they have to take into consideration the broad meaning of freedom of religion. So, let's say the monument stays for the very reason of "Freedom of Religion". Are Chief Justice Moore and his accomplices going to be okay with someone of the atheist religion sneaking into the courthouse one night and making a display of his religion? This would have to be okay because everyone is entitled to their right to freedom of religion. Before we know what is happening we will have monuments and displays everywhere. This is another reason why the monument should be moved because if it is okay this one time, then where does it stop.

I'm not saying that this monument should be taken away and destroyed, I'm saying that these people who want it on display should spend less time protesting and more