The Oklahoma Republican Party has offered a home for the Ten Commandments monument that will be removed soon from state Capitol grounds under a court order.
But it's not at all clear the state will accept the GOP offer...
Since the courts have now determined the much maligned 10 Commandments Monument must be removed from the State Capitol steps by October 12th, the big question is where the monument will go next.
I think a good place for a monument that honors 10 biblical laws would be a Christian church, perhaps one in a lower-income area that can't afford to build their own fancy granite monument. I bet God, who unlike Republicans was apparently sympathetic to the poor, would approve of that.
Better yet, maybe the monument should be donated to the Jesus House – the non-denominational Christian outreach center that provides food, shelter and help to the people in need. I'm not saying that as joke. I'm being serious. Jesus would love it. Not only would it help spread the love and message of God to those who may need it most, but it would put a positive ending on what has been a distracting and contentious issue for our state.
Sadly, the Republicans have more selfish plans. They want to politicize this issue for all it's worth.
Via the OK GOP website:
Taking A Stand For the Ten Commandments
Recent court rulings have been very disturbing about the Ten Commandments Monument at the State Capitol. The Court has ordered that the monument be removed. Governor Mary Fallin and Attorney General Scott Pruitt have done everything within the law to appeal this decision and to stand for Oklahoma values, I want to thank both of them for their courageous leadership and for standing up for our American Heritage,
Unfortunately, it appears that the legal options for keeping the monument at the Capitol have been exhausted. That is why I am offering to have the monument moved to the State Party Headquarters. In 2012 Democrats voted to remove God from their platform, but the Republican Party’s principles, values, and platform have always been that we are one nation under God and that we should respect and honor that tradition.
I believe, like the vast majority of Oklahomans and especially Oklahoma Republicans that the Ten Commandments is part of the cornerstone of our system of government. We have routinely acknowledged this. Even inside the US Capitol there are monuments to the great lawgivers that are the basis of our governmental system and the one of Moses is front and center in the House Chamber.
Its time for the Party to take a stand and support the values of Oklahomans, and while we still feel the best place for this monument is at the State Capitol, we are happy to offer ourselves as a secondary site so that the monument is not destroyed or removed from public view.
We are reaching out to the Governor’s office today to let them know of our availability and we are committed to working with the Dewey Bartlett Center to provide a safe home for this monument.
Come on Republicans, I know both parties specialize in pandering, but this takes things too far. You really want to display the 10 Commandments Monument at your headquarters? This has bad idea written all over it.
First of all, I think most sane humans would agree we should try to keep religion and politics as far away from each other as possible. They're like two cats living in the same house. The can co-exist and get along, but it's better if they have their own separate space. It's why our founding fathers were all about something called "separation of church and state."
Second, isn't this insulting to the 37 remaining members of the Republican party who are not Christian? Are you going to install special monuments that honor Buddha, spaghetti monsters and weatherman, or are you just going to alienate them like every other minority group?
Third, doesn't this set too high of a bar for Republican politicians? Whether they're offering bribes, embezzling money, sleeping with lobbyists, or simply two good old boys getting into a bar fight over a girl, do they really need to be reminded of all the moralistic laws they disobey? That sounds like a distraction to me.
Fortunately, the Republicans may not get their way. The future home of the monument is still in the air. Via NewsOK.com:
The state has run out of legal options for keeping the monument on Capitol grounds. The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled it violates a provision of the Oklahoma Constitution against state support of religion. It must be removed by Oct. 12.
John Estus, a spokesman for the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services, said procedures for releasing surplus state property include public auction, but he's not sure yet what process will be used in this case.
Heh. Wouldn't it be funny if it went up for public auction? If it's not donated to a church, I'd be happy with that. It could help offset all the money it's taken to fight the related lawsuits and removal costs.
Anyway, we'll stay on top of this and keep you informed. Oddly enough, I haven't heard a response from the godless Oklahoma Democratic Party. If the Republicans get their way, I'd suggest they build a monument that honors the Bill of Rights. You know, those 10 laws our politicians should really care about.
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