A similar monument was installed at the state capitol last year, only to be destroyed just hours after it was installed. The individual accused of destroying the display was subsequently found unfit to stand trial. Proponents of the display, led by state senator Jason Rapert, immediately began raising money for a replacement. Senator Rapert has publicly stated, “I am guilty as charged for supporting the Ten Commandments and… take full responsibility for being so bold as to believe that our state and our nation would be better off if people simply honored, followed and adhered to the Ten Commandments given by God Himself to Moses on Mt. Sinai.” Rapert’s effort reportedly raised $85,000, which will provide a protective barrier around the new display.
Monday, June 04, 2018
Suit Challenges Arkansas Capitol Ten Commandments Monument
Suit was filed last month challenging the constitutionality of a Ten Commandments monument erected on the Arkansas state capitol grounds. The complaint (full text) in Orsi v. Martin, (ED AR, filed 5/23/2018), alleges that the monument violates the Establishment Clause. A press release from the American Humanist Association explains:
