On June 20, Governor Jeff Landry said signed a law requiring public schools in Louisiana to Advertisement Posters of the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
From elementary to high school, all public schools in Louisiana must display a poster that “clearly constitutional” Revealed by Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill on August 5.
The duo revealed at least five different ideas for posterincluding one titled “The House of Representatives and the Legislators,” which shows the Ten Commandments between a stone carving of “Moses the Legislator” and a photograph of House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
Another poster features former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg alongside historical documents such as the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Declaration of Independence, as well as a quote from a school Paper that she wrote about the Charter of the United Nations at the age of 13.
Other possible posters include images and quotes from Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., playwright and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, and former Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall.
Ginsburg’s granddaughter Clara Spera wrote a e-mail to Rolling Stone Magazine regarding Ginsburg’s misquote on the posters.”The use of my grandmother’s image in Louisiana’s unconstitutional attempt to display the Ten Commandments in public schools is misleading and an insult to their well-documented First Amendment jurisprudence,” she said.
The posters were intended to “ishow that there are constitutional ways to apply this law,” Murrill said.
There are some precedents for Louisiana law. In 1980 case In Stone v. Graham, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a similar law in Kentucky. The 2005 Supreme Court case Van Orden vs Pary decided that a monument to the Ten Commandments could be erected in a public park.
While the bill passed easily through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, the Senate and the Executive Branch, challenged the law. A coalition of groups filed a lawsuit, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and nine families from Louisiana of different religious backgrounds. Among the nine families there are four clergymen.
“Permanently displaying the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana public school classroom — thereby making them mandatory — places unconstitutional pressure on students to follow, worship, and embrace the state’s preferred religious scripture,” the lawsuit states.
“I think this is a ridiculous intrusion on the boundaries between religion and state,” said Rep. Aimee Freeman, who represents Tulane’s district. “This country was founded on religious freedom and I think this is offensive and illegal.” Freeman coordinated against the bill.
Some Louisiana public schools, which are defendants in the lawsuit, are not required to display the Ten Commandments until at least November 15, due to a agreement between the regional and federal courts.
“Tell the child not to look at it,” Landry said. said at a press conference on August 5. “I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about.”
