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Oklahoma Pushes a Monumental Waste of Time and MoneyYou may remember that several months ago, Oklahoma State Representative Mike Ritze introduced a bill in the state legislature to recognize, "an important component of the moral foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the State of Oklahoma." Unfortunately, Representative Ritze, an ordained Baptist minister, wants to recognize the legal foundation of our country by erecting a monument to the Ten Commandments. This bill has one major problem: The U.S. legal system is not based on the Ten Commandments. Obviously the ACLU thinks this proposal is problematic. Fortunately for us, the drafters of the Oklahoma Constitution provided some guidance on the subject. Article II, Section 5, of the Oklahoma Constitution provides even greater protection against government sponsored religion than the federal Establishment Clause. It says: No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such.You would think that with a provision like this in the state constitution, a bill like H.B. 1330 would be dead on arrival. In Oklahoma, you'd be wrong. Senator Randy Brogdon and other supporters of the bill are trying to argue that the 10 Commandments are a historical document and not a religious one. I think there are a lot of reverends and rabbis around the country that would disagree with them, but apparently the bill's supporters have been persuasive in Oklahoma City. There are some senators and representatives in Oklahoma who believe that this bill is unconstitutional, and will cost their state money both for the monument itself and for the legal challenges that could follow the bill's passage. While Oklahoma's budget is better off than many other states, money is still in short supply. Recently it was reported that Oklahoma is $900 million in the hole this year and may be forced to cut all government programs by as much as 14 percent across the board. Some Oklahoma legislators, like Rep. Mike Brown, have their priorities straight. He said, "there needs to be a stop to running frivolous bills, while there are very important ones waiting." He's right. The tax payers of Oklahoma should be very upset that their legislators are wasting their time and potentially millions of their dollars on bills like H.B. 1330 when there are far more important issues for them to address during their short session.
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17 Responses to "Oklahoma Pushes a Monumental Waste of Time and Money" |
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Apr 17th, 2009 at 7:31am
Yeah, let the Obama-is-our-Messiah Socialists run loose in Washington running up a tab of $9.7 trillion dollars of everyone's money, while you piddle away YOUR RESOURCES on trivial bullcrap like this.
You go ballistc any time you see the word, "God," yet, we have an unAmerican, narcissistic DemiGod as President, bent on the total destruction of our Constitution, our freedoms, and our way of life.
You say that the Ten Commandments has nothing to do with our laws, and I say that "American Civil Liberties," has nothing to do with your focus.
Let's face it, you've lost focus. You create issues where there are none. It isn't about civil liberties, but about who can we sue.
If YOU really gave a damn about OUR civil liberties, you'd go after the source of the destruction, the politicians who are robbing the public blind to pay for their $trillion-dollar Socialist agenda, and not this trivial drop in the bucket.
You worry more about the rights of non Americans, terrorists, criminals, and political radicals than you do the rights of true Americans.
Apr 17th, 2009 at 11:46pm
The ACLU has done damage to this country....sickening
Apr 18th, 2009 at 8:55am
AMEN!!!
Apr 19th, 2009 at 5:41pm
I see a major double-standard here. You folks on the far-left object to tax money being used to "promote government sponsership of religion" but you had NO problem when Andre Serrano submerged a cross in a jar of urine with my tax money paying for it, but when we objected, your organization told us too bad. What gives?!!!
Apr 19th, 2009 at 9:02pm
Two things:
(1) Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The only winner here is the ACLU.
Ironically, the ACLU will be downfall of the first black president. Maybe Obama felt he owed them something from their 1960s equal-rights-fighting days. And maybe Obama did owe them something, but THIS WAS NOT IT.
(2)
Why are we opening our kimono to the world, when everybody still has their clothes on?
Why do American citizens donate money to the ACLU to protect non-Americans whom the country is presently engaged in a heated military battle with...? Maybe I'm not the brightest kid on the block but this doesn't make sense to me. UNLESS, the ACLU is looking to garner a position of legal internationalism above and beyond the Constitution. Okay, so I could go for that PROVIDED that there were other countries on board whom we're fighting with presently and making the same steps at transparency. But, where are they? Why are we opening our kimono to the world, when everybody still has their clothes on?
Sadly, this looks like the end of the Obama's glorious reign.
So, my question to the ALCU is: "if the CIA takes a backseat from protection, how will you save the American people? how will you save a bullet from a terrorist's gun targeted at the commander in chief...?"
Apr 22nd, 2009 at 9:04pm
Where do you get off saying the legal system wasn't based on the Ten Commandments??
Suggested reading:
James Madison, the primary author of the constitution of the United States said, "We have staked the whole future of our nation, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political constitution upon the capacity of each of ourselves to govern ourselves according to the moral principles of the Ten Commandments'.
I also suggest you look at the Christian base of the other authors of the United States Constitution as well as the Presidents from that time.
Apr 26th, 2009 at 11:10pm
Maybe if the ACLU would quit trying to get rid of the Ten Commandments and read the Law of God who is in Control of all and works for all of us at no charge, but continues to Bless All would realize would be a big help with the law!! The ACLU along with Obama will ruin this nation that was founded on Christian Values and if they read the Bible more they would know christians like Jesus love the sinner hate the sin so we pray for the lost. God is my judge not the supreme court and not the ACLU!!! Abraham Lincoln believed in freedom for all did he not? He read his Bible.
Apr 27th, 2009 at 11:57pm
I dont know what is up with these illogical comments here, other than people being blinded by their religion.
This runs directly counter to the separation of church and state. If you don't believe that, you are lying to yourself. If you want the RELIGIOUS monument built, then put together some kind of fund to buy it out of personal money between your churches. It has no place in the state budget. ACLU is just defending civil liberties.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:11pm
Regarding a recent picture of our troops praying.
If you have seen the picturee, you would note that all the Marines pictured are bowing their heads. That's because they're praying.
This incident took place at a recent ceremony honoring the birthday of the corps, and it has the ACLU up in arms. 'These are federal employees,' says Lucius Traveler, a spokesman for the ACLU , 'on federal property and on federal time. For them to pray is clearly an establishment of religion, and we must nip this in the bud immediately.'
When asked about the ACLU's charges, Colonel Jack Fessender, speaking for the Commandant of the Corps said (cleaned up a bit), 'Screw the ACLU.' GOD Bless Our Warriors, Send the ACLU to France.
Again, outrageous behavior for the ALCU.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:58pm
I am astonished by the hate I see in the comments. I expected love from the Christians commenters. I hoped that people would investigate rumors before they post comments and run the risk of looking silly.
As a service to those commenters and ignoring the pure hate comments...
Karen - 22-April - Madison never said what you wrote. See
http://candst.tripod.com/misq1.htm
or
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/capital.asp
for the facts.
Godschildcath - 27-April - This country was not founded on Christian values, but on moral values found in many cultures and religions. See
http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/capital.asp
for the facts on many stories about the founding fathers beliefs.
Anonymous - 6-May - The incident you describe never took place. See
http://www.themediadesk.com/files/usmc.htm
or
http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/a/aclu-marines.htm
or
http://webandchurch.blogspot.com/2007/09/truth-or-fiction.html
for the facts.
On a separate note,
Heidi - 19-April - To answer your question, “if the CIA takes a backseat from protection, how will you save the American people? how will you save a bullet from a terrorist’s gun targeted at the commander in chief…?”
I would fight terrorism at its root, the perception that the United States is evil. We will never get everyone to agree with us, but our actions over the last eight years have convinced a lot of people that we are evil. We have taken away the hopes of many, making them open to the lure of the terrorist.
May 13th, 2009 at 4:43pm
Hey ACLU
IN GOD WE TRUST
May 14th, 2009 at 10:26pm
By what ten commandments is the blogger referring to? Offended by? A legal system with only ten rules would certainly be simpler than the present one.
If referring to the ten commandments mentioned in the Bible in the book of Exodus, they aren't too different from what everyday people are used to in matters of right and wrong. So what if some rural state finds the Ten Commandments suitable for putting on display. It's a lot cheaper than putting the US Code on a monument!
Aren't people free to ponder ancient legal systems, especially ones that are well known throughout the world?
May 19th, 2009 at 1:37pm
Luke...Most of the ten commandments have nothing to do with civil law. Let's take them one by one...
1. I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me. Directly in opposition to the Constitution against establishing a state religion.
2. You shall not make for yourself an idol. Directly in opposition to the Constitution against prohibiting the free expression of one's religion
3. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God. Directly in opposition to the Constitution by regulating speech.
4. Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. Close all the stores on the Sabbath, no professional sports, etc. Don't forget that people cannot agree on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday as the Sabbath. Better be safe.
5. Honor your father and mother. Good moral code, but what are the penalties for violations.
6. You shall not murder. I'll give you that one.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Good moral code, but not part of our criminal code.
8. You shall not steal. I'll give you that one.
9. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. I'll give you that one. Libel laws and such.
10. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. The first part is good behavior, but how can it be policed. The second would destroy our economy. If I don't covet my neighbor's possessions, I might not go out and buy them, ending up with useless stuff just to stay even.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:37am
First off Roald...God and Christ both kicked ass when they got pissed off! How dare you mention the fact off us being Christians and not allowed to hate of disagree and be angered by what you people are doing!
Secondly, our Constitution gives US (THE PEOPLE) the right to over throw or vote out ANY government that we feel is not doing the job we expect them to be doing!
Third, Our Government feels it now has the right to tell us what to do in our private lives. Example: WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS! If I get in my car and don't want to put that damn thing on, I should have the right to make that decision about my safety for myself, NOT THE GOVERNMENT!
And last but not least...YOU people feel that praying in our schools, military or whatever is wrong! What the hell is a matter with YOU! Just because we all have our heads bowed at the same time, DOES NOT mean we are all praying to the same God! Leave us private citizens of America alone and concentrate on the bigger issues! Like how our own Government are the ones responsible for the mess we're in today, NOT THE PRIVATE CITIZEN!
P.S.
You guys at the ACLU...Just plain suck.
Jun 22nd, 2009 at 12:28pm
tim...In what world do you live?
Christ preached love, not hate. The hate expressed by the posters is against the ACLU and its members, not the "sins" the posters perceive. This is not in line with Christian beliefs.
Our Constitution does not give anyone the right to overthrow the government. That is treason or sedition. You can vote them out on the next cycle. That is what happened in 2006 and 2008. The State can impeach an office holder if that person has committed certain crimes, but not because you or anoyone else does not like that person's position.
If you don't want to wear a seatbelt and are willing to absolve the government for paying for your medical care or maintaining your family should you become unable to work, I have no problems.
I don't feel that praying wherever you want is wrong, absent it disrupts the lives of those who are not praying. What is wrong is when the State forces any belief on others.
I disagree that the government is solely responsible for our current situation. Personal greed is responsible for much of that.
Jul 25th, 2009 at 8:30am
Aclu, I find you funny. I find it so odd that you fear Christianity over all others. That history plays no part in the ten commandments. Then shall it be that the torra or the karan, does not either? Go to those to whom you speak and tell them you will totally destroy
all Christian documents, once and for all, if you will also be allowed to destroy their torra, their karan, and Christianity will be silenced. Would they? or would their documents be the histories to their guide their people as all religions. Religious people
in our history founded this country. Dissecting the print for the paper, is somantics. If a man gives his life to save yours do you stop him and ask him what he had for breakfast? Or if he's Jewish, Italian, or Chinese? so, if a soldier before he lays down his life to pray to God in his own religion, be reprimanded? or should he ask the man, are you a politician? or are you with the ACLU? and think about it first?
And I thought you were afraid of honesty. You are.
Jul 29th, 2009 at 9:11pm
The ACLU is the problem with this country. You guys keep telling GOD he is not welcome in America. Well guess what? I think he may finally be listening to you because it looks like he and his many blessings dont appear as often as they used to.