Anderson County, Tennessee's Courthouse now has an "In God We Trust" marble sign over each of four (4) entrances. The money was raised by private donations, and supported by numerous churches.
The reported manner of dedicating the first of the "In God We Trust" signs was allegedly to invite only fundamentalist preachers -- no Jews, no Catholics, no Muslims, no Buddhists, no Hindus (and possibly no Native Americans, no African-Americans).
At the dedication, preachers allegedly stated that anyone who didn't believe as they do was Going to Hell.
"Now that's an ice-breaker," as William F. Buckley, Jr. said upon meeting Ayn Rand, who immediately challenged his religious beliefs.
“Going to Hell?” That's not exactly an invitation to brotherhood.
Not Southern hospitality. It's downright unfriendly.
It's hate speech. It sounds like the message of the KKK when they rioted against desegregation and dynamited Clinton High School in 1958.
This "Going to Hell" expressive message was unkind, uncouth, unChristian and beneath the dignity of a free people.
Ours is nation where our Founders required separation of Church and State.
"Judge not, lest ye be judged," the scripture says. "Who am I to judge," Pope Francis says of GLBT people.
Those preachers' hateful "Going to Hell" words were bad theology and bad sociology.
Rather than acting like true Christians and apologizing, there are now allegedly moves afoot to defeat every single County Commissioner who voted against the signs.
That's not very Christian, either.
Contrary to the preachers' beliefs, America was not founded as a "Christian country," as is evidenced by George Washington's letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Providence, Rhode Island and in haec verba in America's treaty with Tripoli.
Our Founders knew from European religious wars that they didn't want any. American soil had already been smeared with blood from religious wars (right here in St. Augustine, commencing in 1565, with hundreds of Protestant and Roman Catholic victims, as three world empires vied to save souls and conquer territory (not necessarily in that order).
Our Founders of the United States of America knew their history. They all wanted to leave hundreds of years of bloody European religious wars behind.
Our Founders vision is mocked by the “Going to Hell” preachers' hate speech.
I lived in Clinton and Anderson County, Tennessee. I have many fond memories.
To paraphrase Henry David Thoreau about Concord, "I have traveled extensively" in Clinton.
Anderson County, Tennessee is blessed with diverse people from all over the world -- people from every religion, and no religion, and people who believe in God and question organized religion.
There are some 900 Ph.Ds working in Oak Ridge.
Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton, Tennessee is located two blocks from the former location of Clinton High School. On October 5, 1958, Clinton High School was blown to bits by dynamiters who opposed desegregation. It was rebuilt by contributions from Americans, organized by columnist Drew Pearson ("Bricks of love to fight bombs of hate.")
When Anderson County Courthouse was built in 1964, it was originally planned with segregated rest rooms. (The County Courthouse rest rooms now say "Men," "Women," "Employee Men" and "Employee Women.")
Anderson County Courthouse is located directly across the street from where our Appalachian Observer newspaper was located. During the early 1980s, I spent much of my days (and many long nights) in Anderson County Courthouse, covering meetings, observing trials, interviewing and learning from public officials and citizens, reading records and exposing wrongdoing.
The Courthouse was a great place to learn about America. You might say I grew up in Clinton, Tennessee and in Anderson County Courthouse.
We helped citizens remove a corrupt School Superintendent. We helped deputies and they helped the FBI, to remove and incarcerate corrupt Sheriff. We helped elect reformers, fighting waste, fraud, abuse, misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance. We had fun doing it.
The local DA, James Nelson Ramsey, recommended us for a Pulitzer Prize for uncovering the largest mercury pollution event in world history (Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant).
Anderson County;s Mayor is Terri Frank, daughter of my late publisher, Ernie Phillips. She supported the "In God We Trust" sign.
The "In God We Trust" signage is reportedly being challenged by, among others, attorney David Alexander Stuart, my friend and former co-counsel in whistleblower cases, including Varnadore v. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (see August 5, 2013 New York Times obituary); Stuart was the popular, populist, ethical, energetic longtime elected County Attorney (1982-1998).
I like and respect both Ms. Frank and Mr. Stuart.
East Tennesseeans love lawsuits -- it's part of their character.
In fact, it is so ingrained that County Sheriffs and other elected offcials are often required to file "salary lawsuits," asking the Courts (not County Commissioners) to decide how much money the Sheriff, Register of Deeds, County Clerk and other officials get to pay their staffs!
The Anderson County Courthouse case is ripe for litigation.
But learning a lesson from the preacher's condemning others to Hell, from this day forward, public officials everywhere need to ask "What can we do to unite people?"
Carved in marble over the United States Supreme Court building is another motto, "Equal Justice Under Law."
How many of the more than 3000 county courthouses in America bear that inscription?
How often is “equal justice” denied?
When we say the Pledge of Allegiance, ending “With liberty and justice for all,” do we really mean it?
Or should we add, “We hope!”
What do the preachers have to say about growing injustice and inequality?
"Equal justice under law." It's a compassionate message -- one that all Americans can agree on.
What do you reckon?
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