What could be so important about the historical relevance of the Ten Commandments to the American tradition that it has sent Oklahoma lawmakers into a frenzy to repeal the Blaine Amendment? Among many of the flawed arguments that lawmakers are making regarding why the monument should be allowed to stand is that it is not a symbol of a religion but one of historical importance to this country. Somehow, they claim, Western law is significantly based on these commandments.
On Monday, state Rep. John Paul Jordan (R-Yukon) filed House Joint Resolution 1036, a constitutional amendment to remove language contained in Article II, Section 5 of the Oklahoma Constitution. The Oklahoma Supreme Court cited Article II, section 5 as its basis for ruling that the monument of the Ten Commandments must be removed from the state capitol. “Ten Commandment monuments are commonplace in the United States and a widely understood historic basis for our system of law,” Jordan said.
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