An
editorial in the Anniston, Alabama Star yesterday strongly criticized former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who is
again a candidate for that position in the fall election, for becoming involved on one side of an issue that the Alabama Supreme Court may eventually be called to rule upon. The city of Sylvania, Alabama placed a verse from the New Testament-- "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism"-- on the town's four Welcome sign. In April, the Freedom From Religion Foundation objected (
full text of letter) and convinced the town to remove the signs. (
FFRF press release.) Earlier this month, however, the town council voted to place the Biblical quotation back on the signs, and the Foundation for Moral Law, headed by former Chief Justice Moore, promised to defend the town's position. A
press release from the Foundation quotes Moore as saying: "The Freedom From Religion Foundation has an agenda to remove any acknowledgement of God or religion from the public square and are trying to bully towns like Sylvania with threatening letters that grossly misrepresent the Constitution." Here is a portion of Anniston Star's editorial on the matter:
One can — and should — question the propriety of an Alabama chief justice GOP nominee heading a foundation dedicated to a constitutional position on which he might one day have to rule. More important, one can — and should — wonder why Moore is personally getting involved in the first place.
Here is a prime example of the sort of controversy on which a chief justice should avoid taking a public stand. If and when matters such as this come before his court, he can then rule on them and explain in legal terms the reasoning behind his decision.
We hoped this was what Roy Moore would do. He has disappointed us again.
