Commandments in court a reminder of free speech

Both responses by Posey ("Letter ignores the basic facts of history, context") and Cohoon, ("Ten Commandments influence legal system but remain separate") on March 31 to Dan Mackey's letter ("Ten Commandments basis of legal system and are fitting in courtroom," March 24) missed the point. Posey's letter avoided the topic completely and would be better confined to a persuasive writing class. It should be Judge Roy Moore's right to have a copy of "The Ten Commandments" in his courtroom; this arrangement would benefit those he serves.

To understand why, first we need to recognize that Moore was elected to his position because people trusted that he would make fair and just decisions. The Holy Bible is a recognized literary work. If Moore doesn't believe in God, then there is no ground to say that he is mixing church and state. If he does believe in God, then in his job those Ten Commandments remind him of his duty - to be honest and just in his dealings - he being accountable to that God in which he believes. Thus they are conducive to his working environment. He has never tried anyone for worshipping other gods or cursing. They are there for his sole benefit and remind him of the need to be ethical in judgment.

In addition, they constitute a form of expression and free speech on his part. To remove them because they offend "some people" is no different than censoring public billboard ads, television and radio. Each of us do and say things that some feel are offensive, but the law has no place to stop us or censor our speech, so why should they stop his.

Finally, it is a dedication to ethics that helps judges make just decisions.

Where's the problem? The problem isn't Judge Moore, it's those nameless citizens (mostly) that continue to either seek out ways of justifying their own violations of conscience or seek out ways to remove the strong sense of ethics that has created our nation. If we wish to reverse the ethical relativism that destroys our society, we need to start by supporting those who have values and allow those values to influence them to be just and good, such as Judge Roy S. Moore.

By Jason Knight Belnap (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 7, 1997