The only newspaper in Dixie County, the Advocate, has an article about the "controversy", and I've pasted the full-text below (the server often goes down). Note the blatant disregard for objectivity in reporting facts. Note the unabashed persuasive tone. [I've added the hyperlinks]
Also, check out these three letters to the editor in the Gainesville Sun about the 10C in Dixie -- pro, pro, con.
Ten Commandment Controversy Goes NationalDidn't you love when Joey declaimed the platitude, "It's an aspect of trying to remove God from our lives altogether." Isn't that just quaint? In the last paragraph, mentioning whether it's PC and "against their [any nonchristian] beliefs" has nothing to do with it. The only meaningful question is -- is it legal? The clear answer is -- no. (read this and this)
by Terri Langford, 12/7/2006
The last time that Dixie County [map] was in the National news, we were waiting for a hurricane to hit our coastline and the Weather Channel was covering the story. Last week Dixie was put on the map again with what has become a controversy over the placement of a monument of the Ten Commandments on the courthouse steps. FoxNews out of New York City picked up on the story and aired somewhat of a debate on the Hannity & Colmes Show last Wednesday. Some would say that Dixie has been hit by a bad media storm and locals are preparing to weather a possible lawsuit against the placement of the monument on county owned property.
As reported in last week’s Advocate, the issue of the monument came about in January of this year when Commissioners agreed to its placement at the courthouse. The six-ton block of granite was paid for by Joe Anderson and a group of other private citizens at no cost to the county or its taxpayers.
Lawyer Joseph Lander was invited to speak on the FoxNews show along with a young gentleman, Daniel Morgan. Morgan is the president of the Atheist, Agnostic and Freethinking Student Association at the University of Florida and stated that prior to being contacted by FoxNews he was not aware of the issue and, in fact, had never even been to Dixie County before.
“I am not ‘actively soliciting’ any lawsuits, however, I would like to see someone from the area with the courage to challenge this illegal action on the part of the Dixie County Board of County Commissioners,” stated Morgan.
As noted on the show by Lander, up until last Thursday, there had been only one negative report about the monument and that was from a gentleman who lives in Gainesville.
“The Community is behind this issue with overwhelming support coming in for the Ten Commandment Monument,” stated Landers. “We are a very close knit and tight community and certainly it does fit within our social morals,” he added.
When the Dixie monument was compared to the Kentucky and Texas cases which also dealt with the issue of placing the Ten Commandments on public property, Lander stated, “Well I think it’s clear that the bigger aspect is that the court said that each instance must be looked at individually. It’s an aspect of trying to remove God from our lives altogether.”
Colmes asked Lander if a 6 ton-block of granite is going to make your community a better community? Lander replied, “Will it make it a worse community?”
Colmes then asked why go to the trouble, why go to taxpayer expense and why create the controversy?
Lander answered, “I do believe it has some benefit. Certainly the Ten Commandments as they sit behind us are things that we should all strive to live by in my belief.”
The show was short lived, with the satellite connection being disrupted during the taping, ending the FoxNews debate.
And it’s that belief that is shared by the majority of Dixie’s population - This week the Advocate has been inundated with calls and visits from local residents in support of the monument. Some have even expressed their feelings in letters to the editor. There has only been a total of two letters in opposition, which includes Mr. Kellerman’s from Gainesville last week.
The Advocate also received a copy of a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, sent out to various news sources, soliciting someone from Dixie County willing to join a lawsuit challenging the placement of the monument on the steps of the Dixie County Courthouse. A copy of a letter written directly to the Dixie Board of County Commissioners was also included in the fax, again stating that they intend to sue.
Another fax, sent to County Coordinator, Arthur Bellot came from the Thomas More Law Center. The purpose of the letter was to offer their services to represent the Board and its individual members in any lawsuit brought by the ACLU, Freedom From Religion Foundation, or any similar organization in any court action seeking the removal of the monument.
It is unfortunate that the placement of the Ten Commandment monument has become an issue and caused so much controversy. It is important to note that this controversy began with one person calling a large newspaper and television station in a large city that is located 50 miles away from our community.
Before this issue became the topic of national talk, Dixie County was known best for its pristine woodlands and waters. Ecotourism is its choice of industry in order to preserve those woodlands and waters. And while our area has grown quite considerably over the past few years – it still remains a rural community with close ties to its roots planted by our pioneer families with deep Christian beliefs.
No doubt there are others that feel the placement of the monument was not politically correct, legal or just plain goes against their beliefs. However, the majority of Dixie citizens have spoken, or in this case, had quietly accepted the monument’s placement. Some receive spiritual fulfillment when they see the monument, while others have accepted it as a way of life – “normal” for this small rural community they call home. In their acceptance the “majority” have made a bold statement – that good Christian folk live here in what we here in Dixie County call “God’s Country”.
The TMLC won't have to pay the plaintiff's bill, Dixie County. You will.
This report isn't entirely accurate concerning me not being aware of the issue -- I heard about it from the original Gainesville Sun article. I didn't hear about it from FoxNews. I simply hadn't done anything about it, or really planned to, until contacted by them.
Anyone interested in following this issue in the Gainesville Sun forums, check out the News threads, and the Sun Headlines threads.
Here's a list of the local newpaper mentions so far:
- Gainesville Sun -- 11/28
- Dixie County Advocate -- 11/30
- Alligator -- 11/30
- Alligator -- 12/1 (editorial)
- FFRF Press Release -- 12/1
- Gainesville Sun -- 12/02
- 3 Letters to the Editor at the Sun -- pro, pro, con.
- Dixie County Advocate -- 12/7
Technorati tags: Church-state, Religion
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