Ten Commandments Monument (Oklahoma City) facts for kids
| Coordinates | 35°29′29″N 97°30′13″W / 35.49145°N 97.50355°W |
|---|---|
| Location | Oklahoma City |
| Type | Monument |
| Material | South Dakota granite |
| Height | 6 foot |
| Opening date | 2012 |
The Ten Commandments Monument is a stone monument that was placed at the Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City in 2012. It was approved by the Oklahoma government. However, its placement caused a lot of discussion and legal challenges because some people felt it went against the idea of religious freedom.
The monument was even damaged by a car in 2014, but it was replaced. Later, a court decided that the monument had to be moved from the capitol grounds. In 2015, it was moved to a different location.
Contents
A Monument's Story
In 2009, a lawmaker named Mike Ritze suggested putting a monument of the Ten Commandments at the Oklahoma capitol. His family even gave money to help pay for it. The monument was put in place in late 2012, with support from Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.
Right from the start, this monument caused a lot of debate. It was damaged once and then rebuilt. It also became the subject of several court cases.
The Vandalism Incident
In 2014, a man purposely drove his car into the monument. The crash knocked over the 6 foot (1.8 m) tall stone and broke it into several pieces. The man ran away but was later caught. He was identified as Michael Tate Reed.
Interestingly, in 2017, a similar Ten Commandments monument in Little Rock, Arkansas, was also destroyed in the same way, just a day after it was put up. The person arrested for that act was also Michael Tate Reed. He even recorded the attack and shared it online.
A company called Wilbert Memorials made a new monument from South Dakota granite. They designed it at their factory in Kansas and then put it back at the Oklahoma capitol on January 8, 2015. After the Oklahoma City attack, Reed was sent for treatment. He was not charged with a crime.
Court Case Challenges
Some people in Oklahoma, including Bruce Prescott, James Huff, and Cheryl Huff, filed a lawsuit. They argued that putting a religious monument on public land went against the Oklahoma Constitution. The group that allowed the monument, the Capitol Preservation Commission, was the defendant in the case.
Even though no public money was used to build the monument, the plaintiffs argued that using public land for it was still against the rules. The main part of the Oklahoma Constitution they were discussing said:
"No public money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used, directly or indirectly, for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such."
At first, a lower court decided that the monument could stay. But the plaintiffs appealed this decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma (ACLU) joined the case to help the plaintiffs.
The state's Attorney General, Scott Pruitt, led the defense team. He argued that the Oklahoma Constitution's rule didn't apply because no state money was used to buy or install the monument.
The case, called Prescott v. Capitol Preservation Commission, was finally decided by the Oklahoma Supreme Court in June 2015. The court ruled 7-2 that the monument did go against the Oklahoma Constitution because it used public property to support a religion. This decision caused a lot of debate, and some lawmakers even wanted to change the Oklahoma Constitution or remove the Supreme Court justices. The monument was taken down from the Capitol grounds in October 2015.
Other Groups' Actions
Another group, American Atheists, also filed a lawsuit in 2013. They argued that the monument went against the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prevents the government from favoring any religion. This lawsuit was later dismissed.
Before the court decision, a group called The Satanic Temple from New York announced they wanted to put up their own privately funded statue on the capitol grounds. They argued that if the government allowed one religious monument, it should allow others. However, after the Ten Commandments monument was vandalized, their plans were put on hold. They didn't want their statue to be the only one there. After the Oklahoma Supreme Court ordered the Ten Commandments monument removed, the Baphomet statue was shown in Detroit and is now at the Salem Art Gallery in Salem, Massachusetts. It might be moved to Arkansas if a Ten Commandments monument is put up there.
Moving the Monument
The controversial monument was moved from the capitol grounds during the night of October 7, 2015. A crane took it to the property of a private group called the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, which is about 10 blocks away. This might only be a temporary place for it. The next day, Governor Fallin suggested changing the state's constitution so the Ten Commandments monument could return to the capitol. She said, "The people of Oklahoma should be able to vote on whether to bring the Ten Commandments monument back to the Capitol."
What Happened Next
In November 2016, voters had a chance to decide on State Question 790. This question asked if they wanted to remove the part of the Oklahoma Constitution that stops the state from using its resources to promote specific religious views. Voters said no to this measure, with 57.12% voting against it.
Even though voters said no, lawmakers John R. Bennett and Micheal Bergstrom wrote a new bill, House Bill 2177. This bill would allow "cities, schools and municipalities to display 'historical documents, monuments and writings' in public buildings and on public grounds." Governor Fallin signed this bill into law in May 2018.
