Note: A slightly edited version of the letter below was printed in the "Letters To The Editor" column of The Montgomery Advertiser on Sunday, September 7, 2003.
Editor, The Montgomery Advertiser:
As I read the accounts of the controversy over Judge Moore and his monument, I am struck by one compelling similarity between this issue and many others that are raised by the conservative Christian community. For some reason that I don't fully understand, they seem to be dissatisfied with their religious observances unless they can compel the rest of us to participate along with them. For example, on the subject of school prayer, they insist that the school day must be interrupted and that everyone, regardless of their personal inclination, must join with them in a religious rite of their design. This is a far cry from their personal right to practice their religion, and, I believe, a clear contradiction of the First Amendment.
Similarly, I don't know of anyone who would question the right of all believers to honor the sacred texts of their faith in any way they see fit, so long as they do not infringe on the constitutional privileges of their fellow citizens. There are certainly writings that each of us hold dear, although perhaps not the same writings, and we all can commit them to memory, mount them on the walls of our homes, set them to music, and pay tribute to them in dozens of ways that don't force anyone who disagrees with us to become involved.
With the Ten Commandments monument, though, we are faced with a monolith placed in a prominent place in a public building paid for with the tax dollars of all of us. There was no public debate before its installation, no opportunity for anyone to question its suitability, or to propose what might have been acceptable alternative observances. Instead, we all woke up one morning to learn that Judge Moore and his supporters had slipped the monument into the building in the dark of night in a clear "in-your-face" gesture of contempt for the opinions of anyone who disagrees. Is this really the way they choose to honor the scriptures?
As a citizen of Alabama, I want to thank the eight associate justices for their courage and faithfulness to their sworn duties. Their prompt and unanimous repudiation of Judge Moore's defiance of the law gives me hope for the future of the rule of law in our state. As a Christian, I publicly say to those who support Judge Moore that while I defend your right to express your opinions in this matter, you do not speak for me. You do not speak for me.
Thomas R. Borden Montgomery, Alabama August 27, 2003