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Justice

6 comments on Justice

Justice
: “Judge” Moore, the 10 Commandments nutjob, has been removed from office. Well, bravo. This is a nation of laws, not of cultists. The man disobeyed the law he was sworn to obey. His word was meaningless. His cause unconstitutional. Good riddance.

Gives a person faith in the system (and doesn’t do a thing to that other faith).

: As the Misanthropyst says, “Another ayatollah bites the dust.”

: Michele says: “No judge, no more.”

: Glenn Reynolds: “If judges don’t obey court orders, who will?”

6 responses to “Justice”

  1. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    I believe the crux of Moore’s argument is that the law of God is higher than the laws of Men. It doesn’t matter if its the US constitution itself he was up against. Would I have put a monument in the rotunda? No, thats not my style and those sorts of people annoy me both personally and religiously. On the other hand if I have to make a choice between the will of God and the constitution of the USA, thats a pretty easy choice.
    An aside: I’m a civil servant and I find that the level of athiesm which is increasingly required of government employees by the state disturbing. What happened to my rights of religious expression? I don’t recall signing them away when I took this job. Shouldn’t there be some leeway there? Yes I do not have the right to browbeat people with my beliefs and abuse my position in this way. Sensitivity and tolerance, etc… On the other hand, since my personal ethical system is based on biblical moral concepts, how do I do my job and exercise my judgement without ethically lobotomizing myself for the sake of the constitution?

  2. .glyph. Avatar
    .glyph.

    The point here I think, is that Judge Moore did NOT swear to uphold god’s laws upon taking office, while he DID swear to uphold the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America. Which he failed to do, in addition to willfully disobeying a direct order.
    FYI: A belief in god is not required for morality, and speaking as an atheist, I can truthfully say that I am not “ethically lobotomized.” Unlike (apparently) much of the religious right.

  3. Jared Avatar
    Jared

    I’m a conservative Christian, I think the Ten Commandments and other such things do have a place in our society and yes, in our government buildings … and I’m very glad to see that Moore is gone. Good riddance.
    Moore directly disobeyed the law and therefore had to go. What I think some are failing to note here is that most Christians who really stop to think about what’s going on here find Moore’s actions just as repulsive as others do.
    And maybe moreso, as the Bible clearly states that to disobey a ruling authority is a sin — unless obeying that earthly authority would directly cause one to commit another sin, deny one’s faith, etc. Since there’s no command in the Bible that Christians display two and a half ton rocks featuring the decalogue, to Christians, Moore has broken both man’s law and God’s law.
    My biggest fear right now, as a conservative, is that Moore orchestrated this whole thing for some sort of political gain. Now that he’s no longer a judge, I expect him to announce that he’s running for SOMETHING … and I fear that the something may well be the United States Senate.
    This man is not worthy of that. (And if he does run, so much for it being for any sort of moral imperative to spread conservatism… the incumbent is a conservative Republican as well.)
    Incidentally, the Alabama ACLU was profusely praising Alabama AG Bill Pryor’s “bravery” today. Does that mean they’ll be supporting his nomination now?
    Okay, nevermind. It will never happen.

  4. Terri Avatar
    Terri

    Ok, take a breath. I’m from Alabama and the center of this malestorm. Real simple. A federal judge with no jurisdiction ruled on his own opinion (not a law) that an elected justice must remove a monument in a state building that over 70% of the state population wanted. The Alabama state constitution (for better or worse whatever your opinion) acknowledges a high power. His oath as a STATE JUSTICE is to honor THAT constitution. We the people of Alabama agreed. The ACLU brought this lawsuit. A federal judge ruled in their favor. Did Judge Moore disobey a federal judge order? Sure he did. Just as every person in the civil rights movement in Alabama did over 40 years in a worthwhile and just cause. Any more questions?

  5. Jeff Avatar
    Jeff

    Terri, I’m also from Alabama (Birmingham), and it seems to me your summary of what’s gone on here is missing a few parts. First of all: The Constitution means only what those responsible for interpreting it–primarily federal judges–says it does. Second: there is a provision in the U.S. Constitution known affectionately as “the Supremacy Clause.” This clause, in essence, says that when federal and state law conflict, federal law prevails. So if a federal judge says that an action allegedly taken under a state constitution violates the federal First Amendment, his interpretation wins. That is how the game is played. Finally: yes, the civil rights pioneers did violate court orders. And you know what? They went to jail, willingly, without whining or making a huge spectacle of themselves. They were humble in their civil disobedience, and were thus sympathetic characters. This is what helped their movement, and it is what hurts Mr. Moore’s movement.
    You can’t say that about these people, or our state. You can’t be an Alabamian and suggest this state is hostile to Christians. I have lived all over the country, and this state is the most accepting of my own Christian faith. Further, I believe God is present and powerful without some cheesy statue telling me so. It’s written on my heart, and not even the most liberal ACLU member would find fault with that.
    Roy Moore is a crook. He is George Wallace along another axis of demagoguery: religion, instead of race. He is the last expression of a generation of people in this state whose time has come and gone. From the bottom of my Alabamian heart, I wish him Godspeed into private life.

  6. Marcel Perez Avatar
    Marcel Perez

    The (former) Judge Moore is just another example of judges at all levels trying to make de facto law on their own or repudiating higher directives that don’t suit their own agendas.
    The people’s desires have never been the ultimate marker for what laws will prevail and that has been proven many times over by US Supreme Court decisions. If this was not so, we could expect differential treatment under the laws of different states; in violation of equal protection guaranteed under the US Constitution.
    States rights versus Federal jurisdiction is an area of contention that will probably never be settled; but the polling of citizen’s positions at any point in time cannot be the basis for making law or for circumventing it.
    We do live under one national flag; presumeably ascribe equal rights to all citizens; and agree to abide by current laws (or suffer the consequences for non-compliance). If we don’t agree with the law, we are obliged to follow a course already in place to seek redress or change.
    This course does not include presumptive power by judges, elected or otherwise, to reject the findings or directives of higher authority.
    Just as the common citizen must pay a penalty for violating the law, public officials and judges must meet the same standard, or face their own sanctions. In this case, justice and the law prevailed, once again.