Current Event Connection: Removal of the Ten Commandments on Oklahoma Capitol Grounds

Hughes, Reggie

October 9, 2015

Period 1

Current Event Connection: Removal of the Ten Commandments on Oklahoma Capitol Grounds

        The current event I chose was about a dispute over the removal of the Ten Commandments Monument from the Oklahoma Capital grounds. The dispute was mainly caused due to the unconstitutional action of the state Supreme Court. The information can be found on the following website: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/workers-remove-ten-commandments-oklahoma-capitol-34284595. The article addresses what happened on Monday as the Supreme Court ruled to remove the Ten Commandments off the property of the Oklahoma Capitol. Murphy wrote that the Supreme Court removed the Monument at Night to avoid “disturbing workers at the Capitol” and ‘demonstrations of some kind”. In response to this action, different groups were requesting to have their own monuments installed.  This event Is important because as it shows cases around the nation that involved the installation of the Ten Commandments, Oklahoma and other religious groups contemplate whether government display violates the First Amendment’s which includes the protection of religious beliefs and opinions plus the separation of church and state.

        The situation between the Ten Commandments and the unconstitutional approach with the government started to officially arise in 1980 when the one of Kentucky’s Law was shut down which required that required a copy of the Ten Commandments in every public classroom (Stone vs. Graham) One of the reactions to this was that Congress, on the same day in 2005, ruled in favor for Texas to display the Ten Commandments while not in favor for Kentucky. Many school officials have had a vote among themselves and the students about the posting the Ten Commandments; some schools failed this since they wanted to avoid costly lawsuits while others were successful and other schools and groups followed in their path. This event made a lasting impact on American because as population grows in America, there is going to be an increase in religious diversity and profound respect for everyone’s belief.