Public Display of the Ten Commandments

From Critical Thinking to Argument Page 21 Exercise 3:

On the evening of July 31, 2001, after court employees had left the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, Chief Justice Roy S. Moore of the Alabama Supreme Court and his supporters installed in the lobby of the courthouse a four-foot high, 5,200 pound granite block bearing the text of the Ten Commandments. Moore had not discussed his plan with other justices. Civil liberties groups complained that the monument was an unconstitutional attempt to endorse a specific religion (the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion"), and in 2002 a federal judge ordered Moore to remove the monument. He refused, saying that the monument is a symbol of the roots of American law. He also said, "To do my duty, I must first obey God." His supporters have offered several arguments on his behalf, notably that (a) the Founding Fathers often spoke of God; (b) every courtroom has a Bible to swear in witnesses and jurors; (c) the U.S. Supreme Court has a frieze of lawgivers, including Moses with the Ten Commandments, Hammurabi, Confucius, and Muhammad. In August 2003, Moore was suspended from his position on the court, and the monument was removed from view. Your views?

Introductions

In a 150-200 word entry, introduce yourself to the other members in your group. Here are some questions to consider:

1. Describe life in your hometown. Do you think the geographical area in which you grew up influenced your political beliefs?
2. What is the funniest political satire you have ever seen online? Provide a link to the source for the other members in your group.
3. Have you ever disagreed with the message of a song, movie, or television program? If so, explain.
4. What is your main source of news? Why?
5. To what extent have the media influenced your political views? In what way?