AU: Alabama judge a political demagogue.

I like this org. They fight the bastards hard, and the best part is that the executive, Barry Lynn, is a man of the cloth.

Mods: this is from an e-mail I recieved.


Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Judge Roy Moore's Defiance Of Federal Court Order Is 'Exercise In Political Demagoguery,' Says Americans United
Commandments Judge’s Supreme Court Appeal Is Certain To Fail, Says AU ’s Lynn
Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore’s defiance of a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from the state Judicial Building is shameless grandstanding, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Moore’s lawyers today filed writs with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the justices to block the court order to remove the monument.

“Moore’s request to the Supreme Court is certain to fail,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United, one of three groups that challenged Moore’s display in court. “It is more of an exercise in political demagoguery than a serious legal undertaking. This will do nothing to delay the inevitable day when the Commandments monument is removed from the judicial building.

“Instead of filing writs, Moore should call it quits,” said Lynn. “He simply doesn’t understand or respect this country’s Constitution, and he should resign from office.

“Moore has put Alabama citizens through enough,” Lynn concluded. “By turning the Alabama Judicial Building into his personal pulpit, Moore has violated the Constitution. His continued defiance of the federal courts is even worse, provoking a constitutional crisis that dishonors his state and will cost its citizens dearly. This shameless grandstanding must stop.”

In an obvious attempt to inflame public opinion against the federal courts, Moore used an Aug. 14 press conference and several media appearances to repeat his argument that the federal courts have no power to enforce church-state separation in Alabama.

“Alabama will never give up its right to acknowledge God,” Moore said yesterday at an afternoon press gathering in front of the 5,280-pound Ten Commandments monument and before a delighted throng of his supporters. “They have no power, no authority, no jurisdiction to tell the state of Alabama that we cannot acknowledge God as the source of our law.”

Moore’s announcement comes only days before the Aug. 20 deadline for the monument’s removal. On July 1, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld District Judge Myron Thompson’s ruling that the Ten Commandments display is a blatant violation of the First Amendment principle of church-state separation.

Thompson issued an order on Aug. 5 giving Moore until the 20th to remove the monument or be found in contempt of court. Thompson’s order made clear that Moore’s obstinacy will exact a heavy toll on Alabama taxpayers. Fines could start at $ 5,000 a day and increase substantially every week thereafter.

In addition to stating his refusal to abide by a lawful injunction, Moore fired ad hominem attacks at Thompson, accusing him of “abuse of power,” and yet again sought to ratchet up public support for his defiance. Indeed as an Aug. 13 editorial from The New York Times noted, Moore “has built his career on demagoguing about the Ten Commandments.”

Religious Right outfits are organizing large rallies in favor of Moore’s action and encouraging his supporters to descend upon the judicial building to prevent the monument’s removal. After the press conference, Moore said in an interview with the Fox News channel that he has no objection to civil disobedience.

Americans United is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Americans United filed the lawsuit against Judge Moore and his Commandments monument in conjunction with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU of Alabama.

Alabama Judge Must Not Be Allowed To Defy Court Ruling On Ten Commandments, Says Americans United
Moore’s Media Circus Has Gone On Long Enough, Says AU’s Lynn
Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore must not be allowed to defy a federal court order requiring the removal of a Ten Commandments monument from the state Judicial Building, says Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

Americans United and allied organizations filed the lawsuit that resulted in a federal court order mandating removal of the 5,280-pound granite monument by Aug. 20.

At a press conference today, Moore promised to ignore the court ruling.

The Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, urged appropriate government officials to make sure he complies.

“Moore clearly wants to create a media circus, with his Ten Commandments monument starring in the center ring,” said Lynn. “It’s time to shut down the performance.

“If Judge Moore can’t in good conscience comply with a lawful federal court order, he ought to resign,” said Lynn. “We will take whatever steps are necessary to see that the federal court order is enforced.

“Moore seems better suited to be an evangelist than a judge,” continued Lynn. “He is not only defying the rule of law himself, he’s urging others to join his misguided religious crusade.

“In some countries, judges enforce religious law,” Lynn continued, “but in the U.S., judges follow the Constitution. This is America, not Iran. In his official role, Judge Moore must apply the U.S. Constitution, not his personal interpretation of the Bible.”

Lynn called on Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, Gov. Bob Riley and other state officials to see to it that the court order is obeyed. If they are unwilling to do so, he said, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft should intervene.

“During his confirmation hearings, Ashcroft promised to enforce laws even if he personally disagreed with them,” Lynn noted. “This situation provides a perfect test of that claim.”

Moore’s defiance, Lynn said, strongly parallels actions by segregationist Southern governors who in the 1960s tried to block racial integration of public universities and schools. Like Moore, those governors tried to ignore federal court rulings requiring racial equality, but the U.S. Justice Department saw to it that the rulings were obeyed.

“It’s unfortunate that some people are treating Moore like a folk hero,” said Lynn. “In fact, Moore is a George Wallace-style demagogue in a judicial robe. His behavior is cause for shame, not celebration.”

On Aug. 12, the Montgomery Advertiser recommended that the state Judicial Inquiry Commission and the Court of the Judiciary begin proceedings against Moore if he refuses to comply.

Americans United cosponsored the legal case challenging Moore’s display with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU of Alabama.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Beth Corbin
National Grassroots Organizer
Americans United
for Separation of Church and State
518 C Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002 202-466-3234 telephone
202-466-2587 fax
corbin@au.org

I'm struck not only by the sheer arrogance of this judge, believing himself above the law, but by his outright hypocracy!

“They have no power, no authority, no jurisdiction to tell the state of Alabama that we cannot acknowledge God as the source of our law.”

That statement is about the federal courts, yet he is bringing the case to the very federal SCOTUS.

What would he have to say about someone who openly and blatently defied won of his judicial orders? Would he find that person in contempt of court and send him/her to jail?

If the Attorney General and/or Governor of Alabama play deaf, dumb and blind about this, costing the taxpayers $5K/day, they should be removed from office as well, for dereliction of duty.

The author of this e-mail is correct that AG Ashcroft should enforce, if necessary. We shouldn't hold our collective breath, though.

I am a regular church goer, a strong Christian, and this type of thing scares me in lots of ways.

Not only is this shoving religion down the throats of those who do not believe, but I fear it will be a step toward the eventual repeal of the 1st amendment, in its entirety, and the establishment of the far right's religionas the state religion, which is reason for all of us to be very, very afraid.

We have already seen the erosion beginning for free speech...subtley, to be sure, but there. This judge wants his religious belifs to become the official law of Alabama.....Very scary!

The SCOTUS, I think, may not even agree to hear this case.

If they do, we ought not take this lightly. I think it is a very big deal to protect the rights of the religious and the non-religious alike!