Court Rules Ten Commandment Monument in Oklahoma is Unconstitutional

By Hayli Harding --
06 Jul 2015 --

Angry conservatives are crying for the impeachment of the justices who ordered the monument be removed.

Installed in 2012, the 6-foot-tall stone monument of the Ten Commandments has been ordered by Oklahoma Supreme Court Justices to be removed from the state capitol grounds on the basis that the monument violates the Oklahoma and U.S Constitution provisions against religious establishment within the government. The monument was funded by a Republican legislature, making it privately funded. The primary argument from the “for” side is that the monument is there to mark historical importance. However, the installation of the Ten Commandments sparked anger among non-Christians and encouraged other religious groups to request permission to place monuments of their own to mark history.

Decision Does Not Make Conservatives Happy

The decision was 7-2, and angry conservatives are crying for the impeachment of the justices who voted for the removal of the monument and demanding an amendment to the Bill of Rights. As a matter of fact, even the state representative, Kevin Calvey, is leading his GOP colleagues to demand their impeachment. He has, in the past, been angry with the outcome of a trial in the Supreme Court, such as when they ruled in favor of respecting abortion rights. This time, he has called them “politicians in black robes, masquerading as objective jurists” and claimed they are issuing “rulings contrary to the constitution.” Norman attorney/President of Oklahoma Bar Association, David Poarch, has said that Calvey’s demand is dangerous.

Lawmakers have demanded justices be impeached in the past. However, in most cases, the articles of impeachment were drafted but never used or given a hearing. Ryan Kiesel, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma’s Executive Director says that the demands for impeachment feels a lot less like reality and “more like a political ploy”. He stated that there’s no reason for politicians to use Oklahoma’s citizens faiths and beliefs to further their political career, and added that that’s why the amendment is even in the constitution.

Republicans crushed in Oklahoma as the state supreme court rules that the Ten Commandments Monument must come down http://t.co/15FzJw5nQP
— Thomas (@tampabaybucsfan) June 30, 2015

Attorney General Scott Pruitt has requested that the Supreme Court allow the Ten Commandments to remain in place while he looks for oral arguments, as well as a rehearing on the trial. He feels that the monument has both historical and legal “importance.”.