Freedom of Religion

Unbillable Hours has a monumental exposition of why the presence of the ten commandments on the Supreme Court building is not an endorsement of religion, whereas the ten commandments statue in the Alabama Supreme Court is. In the latest developments, "Ten Commandments" Justice Roy Moore has apparently been suspended for defying the federal court's order to remove his carved statue of the commandments.

The fracas surrounding the antics of Chief Justice Moore has clearly touched a raw nerve among Alabamans, and I suppose that I have done my part to rub salt on the wounds. I am sure that there are many sophisticated, civilized Alabamans. I know a few. I am sure, just from reading her blog, that Sugarmama is one. However, it is going to reflect badly on a state when more than 50 percent of the voters elect Elmer Gantry to be Chief Justice. At the time of his election to the Alabama Supreme Court, Justice Moore had already become notorious as the "Ten Commandments" Judge.

On another issue, de jure segregation may be "long past" but the legacy of hate and discrimination in this country is alive and well. So, no, I do not think we can just "get over it." We have come a long way, but we have a long way to go. Prejudice can be found in every state, and is obviously not limited to Alabama. Alabama does, however, still enjoy the unenviable distinction of being one of the six states whose electoral procedures are still subject to federal supervision pursuant to the Voting Rights Act. On the fortieth anniversary of the march on Washington, Alabama, any more than any other state in this country, should not be given a pass on the issue of race relations.