Rockwall County plans to install a Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of its historic courthouse.
The Rockwall County Commissioners Court voted unanimously last week to accept private donations to fund the monument.
"I think it just speaks a lot to the moral compass of Rockwall County,鈥� Commissioner Dana Macalik said. 鈥淚'm proud to be a lifelong Rockwall County resident."
More than a dozen Rockwall County residents spoke in support of the resolution, including Gary Moody.
鈥淸It鈥檚] not a church and state matter, it鈥檚 a moral matter,鈥� Moody said. 鈥淚f we had everything in place and we followed those, we鈥檇 have a whole lot more less stress and misery, divorces and crime.鈥�
Resident Jerry Brewer said the Ten Commandments aren鈥檛 just a religious symbol, but a 鈥渉istorical foundation.鈥�
鈥淭he Ten Commandments have shaped Western law for centuries,鈥� he said.
The monument will be similar to the one on the grounds of the Texas Capitol, which the Supreme Court ruled in 2005 did not violate the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court last month accepted a Ten Commandments monument from the nonprofit American History and Heritage Foundation. That monument 鈥� similar to the one at the Capitol 鈥� will be placed on county grounds.
鈥淭here are other multiple monuments and statues and things like that on the grounds of the historical courthouse,鈥� said Rockwall County Commissioner Lorne Liechty, who authored the resolution. 鈥淭his seemed like the appropriate place to put it.鈥�
But Imelda Mejia with the progressive Texas Freedom Network said displaying religious monuments in government buildings 鈥渃rosses a fundamental line.鈥�
"Texas is a home to many faiths and no faith at all,鈥� she told 四虎影院. 鈥淲e believe that public property belongs to all of us and government should never do anything to appear to be sponsoring one specific religion.鈥�
Liechty said during last week鈥檚 meeting the monument isn鈥檛 about giving preference.
鈥淭o say that there's favoritism is, I don't think, appropriate because all we're doing is recognizing the place of the Ten Commandments in our history and in the heritage of our nation,鈥� he said.
He said Jeff Mateer, the Chief Legal Officer of First Liberty Institute and former First Assistant Attorney General of Texas, assured the county it鈥檚 within the bounds of the law.
Resident Beth Maynard was the sole resident to urge commissioners not to install the monument.
"There are those of us in the community that y鈥檃ll represent ... that would rather it not go up,鈥� she said.
A former teacher, Maynard said it鈥檚 not necessary to display.
鈥淧eople have said we鈥檝e taken God out of schools, we鈥檝e taken prayer out of schools,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s long as there are believing people in a school room, you cannot take God out of it.鈥�
The commissioners court鈥檚 vote comes as state lawmakers consider a bill that would require public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments.
Olla Mokhtar is 四虎影院鈥檚 news intern. Got a tip? Email Olla at omokhtar@kera.org.
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