ACLU sets sights on Oklahoma
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Less than one year after it was erected, a Ten Commandments monument in Oklahoma is under fire. The ACLU of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to have the monument removed from the Oklahoma state Capitol grounds, and Liberty Institute is assisting the Oklahoma Attorney General in defending the display.
Oklahoma Rep. Mike Ritze proposed legislation for the privately funded monument in 2009. The proposal received bi-partisan support from both the state House of Representatives and the Senate, with former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry signing the bill into law. The law specifically authorizes Liberty Institute to “prepare and present a legal defense of the monument.”
The Oklahoma legislation establishing the monument recognizes:
– “That the Ten Commandments are an important component of the foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the State of Oklahoma;
– That the courts of the United States of America and of various states frequently cite the Ten Commandments in published decisions; and
– Acknowledgements of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our nation’s heritage are common throughout America.”
It’s no surprise that the ACLU filed this lawsuit. The anti-faith organization, and other atheist groups, declared their criticism of the monument just days after it was placed on the Capitol grounds. The ACLU and others have made it their mission to eliminate any trace of religion from public view.
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