Texas, y’all! So, there’s this 5-foot tall stone slab chilling near the Capitol in Austin, Texas, flaunting the Ten Commandments like it’s nobody’s business. Picture it: a hot summer day in July 2002, and AP photographer Harry Cabluck is like, “Hey, let’s snap a pic of this bad boy!” Fast forward to today, and the Lone Star State is all about making sure every public school classroom has a piece of that Ten Commandments action.
The Republicans in charge are pushing hard for this mandate, and the House has given it a thumbs up. Now, it’s just a matter of time before it lands on Governor Greg Abbott’s desk for a signature. Candy Noble, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, is all about that historical and judicial significance, like, “Let’s get these commandments up in here, folks!” But hold up – critics are already sharpening their legal swords, claiming this move steps all over the whole separation of church and state thing.
Other states like Louisiana and Arkansas have similar laws, but Louisiana’s is on pause thanks to a federal judge who called it “unconstitutional on its face.” And let’s not forget about the Supreme Court drama in Oklahoma, where they shut down a Catholic charter school with a 4-4 tie. Looks like Texas is on a roll with not only the Ten Commandments but also a bill allowing prayer and Bible reading in schools. Brent Money, another Republican rep, is all, “Our kids need more prayer and Bible time, y’all!” But hey, not everyone is on board with this. Some Christian and other faith leaders are raising their eyebrows, saying, “Uh, hello? What about religious freedom?”
The Ten Commandments bill is crystal clear – schools gotta slap up a 16-by-20-inch poster of the commandments in English. Forget about different translations or interpretations – we’re sticking to the basics, people! Democrats tried to shake things up by suggesting other religious texts or multiple commandment versions, but no dice. A bunch of Christian and Jewish leaders even signed a letter saying, “Hey, Texas, not all students vibe with the Ten Commandments, ya know?” With almost 6 million students in 9,100 public schools, it’s a mixed bag of opinions for sure.
In 2005, Governor Abbott flexed his legal muscles and convinced the Supreme Court to keep a Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds. So, it’s safe to say he’s pretty gung-ho about this whole commandments in schools thing. And there you have it, folks – Texas ain’t messing around when it comes to mixing religion and education. Not really sure why this matters, but hey, that’s politics for you.
