Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
Commissioners pass on Ten Commandments resolution
By JONATHAN CLAYBORNE News Editor
A fiery war of religious words ignited passions Monday night during the Beaufort County commissioners' regular monthly meeting, as talk of Muslims, Christians, atheists, elections and the Ten Commandments stole a substantial chunk of public time from business items.
At one point in the fracas, former commissioner candidate Noel Pinner "Chris" Cayton, a Republican, asked the commissioners to approve a resolution authorizing the posting of the Ten Commandments in each county school and beginning the school day with prayer, among other things.
Reading from a prepared statement, Cayton said, "While our founders provided for freedom to practice religion, they never intended to trust their dearest rights to someone who had no religion at all, or to someone whose religion was different than their own. They knew that it would be highly unlikely to end up with a collection of infidels in office unless the electorate themselves became infidels."
Amid discussion of the issue, Republican Commissioner Hood Richardson made a motion to approve the resolution. His motion did not win a second, however, and, therefore, "died."
Richardson exhorted the other commissioners to vote for the resolution and teased the board's three Democratic ministers, David Moore, Jerry Langley and Robert Cayton.
"We have three ministers on this board. Let's see how strong your faith is," he said, scoring applause from his supporters attending Monday's session.
Moore had said he would second Richardson's motion on the condition that Richardson allow the Board of Education to review the resolution. The school board sets policy for the county's schools.
Regarding Richardson's mention of the three ministers, Moore said, "It ain't about that."
"Yes it is," Richardson continued. "It's about political correctness and you five liberals ... that are sitting here; that's what it's about. You don't want to offend the school board; that's what you've said. Where is your Christian courage? Do you have any at all? And why do I, a layman, have to preach to you?"
"Because you feel like it's going to gain you advantage in the election," Robert Cayton responded.
If the commissioners, as government officials, endorsed the Ten Commandments as "a manifestation" of a particular faith, they would be violating federal law, Robert Cayton argued, recalling the removal of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was unseated after defying a federal order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a courthouse.
However, David Moore had noted that the commissioners display the Ten Commandments in their own meeting room.
"You cannot -- and I realize that by me standing in opposition to this, it may hurt me politically -- but I would rather stand, justified before God, with my Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other, than win votes by demagoguery," Robert Cayton said.
He added that he has no right to impinge upon the religious freedom of a teacher or a student. He said he could not vote for the resolution "because it's flying in the face of the United States Constitution, which I affirmed."
Chairman Earl Tetterton indicated the outcome of the issue would be something the U.S. Supreme Court would have to resolve, though he suggested the court already had decided the issue. The court earlier this year declined to hear a case challenging the constitutional standing of the words "one nation, under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. The court said the man who originally filed a lawsuit, on behalf of his daughter, against the inclusion of those words, had no standing in the case because he did not have full custody of his daughter. However, the court did not definitively settle constitutional questions about the pledge.
Exchanges of sectarian words started flying Monday after former commissioner candidate Sonya Shamseldin, a Republican, approached the podium to talk about the contributions of Muslims and Arab-Americans to their communities.
Shamseldin brought with her area Muslims and Arabs, including at least one professor at East Carolina University.
Shamseldin was accompanied her husband, Mo Shamseldin, who is a Muslim and a native of Egypt.
"I want to talk about diversity here in our community," Sonya Shamseldin said.
She later handed the commissioners packets of information about Muslims and Arabs.
The Shamseldins recently aired complaints about Richardson. The couple says Richardson and other GOP activists spread religious slurs that could have been hurtful to them before the July 20 primary elections.
Sonya Shamseldin has said she is a Christian and that some of the people opposing her tried to link her faith and her husband's faith to her fitness for public service.
Richardson was the top vote-getter in the primary. Shamseldin was not among the winners. Pointing that out, Richardson has accused Shamseldin of harvesting "sour grapes."
A number of Richardson supporters attended Monday's meeting. Some of them held signs proclaiming, "We support Hood," while others carried bags of candy with the candidate's name on them.
Richardson has acknowledged that, during the campaign, "A lot of people were talking about the fact that Mo was a Muslim," including himself, when the subject came up.
Richardson has denied organizing any effort to discredit candidate Shamseldin. He has said religion "is important."
"We're at war with the Muslim nation," Richardson said during a recent interview. "I don't think any member of the public would have a problem understanding that."
During her presentation, Sonya Shamseldin introduced speakers, most of whom focused largely on their own lives and activities.
One of them, Ken Butler of Washington, described himself as a Christian. Butler read the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
"The United States is not a Christian country," Butler said. "The majority of the United States' people are Christians, as am I. But the United States was formed as a secular country."
Butler said there is a movement in America, "by people who don't understand and don't read the Constitution," to make America "into a Christian country. America is not a Christian country. It is secular. All people are created equal."
Referring to Richardson's comment about war, Butler added, "So to say we are at war with the Muslim nation is no different than a nation saying they are at war against Christianity."
When Butler implied the Bush administration "does not understand the Constitution," he was booed by a member of the audience.
Butler said he took exception to Richardson's comment about being at war "with the Muslim nation."
"It's a true statement," an unidentified audience member responded.
"Well, if it is true, then you are very much like a Nazi," Butler said.
Noting that the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, Mo Shamseldin said, "We should learn how to speak to other people, even if they're different, because they have different opinions. No one has the power in the United States to shut other people up because they are American citizens. We're all citizens."
Richardson argued that the U.S. was formed as a Christian nation.
"What the Constitution simply says is we're not going to have a state religion," he added.
Regarding his words about candidate Shamseldin, he stated, "I simply said that she is married to a Muslim. There's nothing untruthful about that. I'm allowed to say that. It is a political reality that we do look at the religion of people and the religious associations of people who are running for office. I will not be intimidated into not making those kinds of truthful statements."
Audience member Sam Woolard asked Tetterton whether the commissioners would allow other people to speak about their religions.
"We've opened the door; I think it should be extended to the public," Woolard said.
Another member of the public -- Chris Cayton -- also was scheduled to speak Monday night, Tetterton observed.
At one point in the fracas, former commissioner candidate Noel Pinner "Chris" Cayton, a Republican, asked the commissioners to approve a resolution authorizing the posting of the Ten Commandments in each county school and beginning the school day with prayer, among other things.
Reading from a prepared statement, Cayton said, "While our founders provided for freedom to practice religion, they never intended to trust their dearest rights to someone who had no religion at all, or to someone whose religion was different than their own. They knew that it would be highly unlikely to end up with a collection of infidels in office unless the electorate themselves became infidels."
Amid discussion of the issue, Republican Commissioner Hood Richardson made a motion to approve the resolution. His motion did not win a second, however, and, therefore, "died."
Richardson exhorted the other commissioners to vote for the resolution and teased the board's three Democratic ministers, David Moore, Jerry Langley and Robert Cayton.
"We have three ministers on this board. Let's see how strong your faith is," he said, scoring applause from his supporters attending Monday's session.
Moore had said he would second Richardson's motion on the condition that Richardson allow the Board of Education to review the resolution. The school board sets policy for the county's schools.
Regarding Richardson's mention of the three ministers, Moore said, "It ain't about that."
"Yes it is," Richardson continued. "It's about political correctness and you five liberals ... that are sitting here; that's what it's about. You don't want to offend the school board; that's what you've said. Where is your Christian courage? Do you have any at all? And why do I, a layman, have to preach to you?"
"Because you feel like it's going to gain you advantage in the election," Robert Cayton responded.
If the commissioners, as government officials, endorsed the Ten Commandments as "a manifestation" of a particular faith, they would be violating federal law, Robert Cayton argued, recalling the removal of Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was unseated after defying a federal order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from a courthouse.
However, David Moore had noted that the commissioners display the Ten Commandments in their own meeting room.
"You cannot -- and I realize that by me standing in opposition to this, it may hurt me politically -- but I would rather stand, justified before God, with my Bible in one hand and the Constitution in the other, than win votes by demagoguery," Robert Cayton said.
He added that he has no right to impinge upon the religious freedom of a teacher or a student. He said he could not vote for the resolution "because it's flying in the face of the United States Constitution, which I affirmed."
Chairman Earl Tetterton indicated the outcome of the issue would be something the U.S. Supreme Court would have to resolve, though he suggested the court already had decided the issue. The court earlier this year declined to hear a case challenging the constitutional standing of the words "one nation, under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. The court said the man who originally filed a lawsuit, on behalf of his daughter, against the inclusion of those words, had no standing in the case because he did not have full custody of his daughter. However, the court did not definitively settle constitutional questions about the pledge.
Exchanges of sectarian words started flying Monday after former commissioner candidate Sonya Shamseldin, a Republican, approached the podium to talk about the contributions of Muslims and Arab-Americans to their communities.
Shamseldin brought with her area Muslims and Arabs, including at least one professor at East Carolina University.
Shamseldin was accompanied her husband, Mo Shamseldin, who is a Muslim and a native of Egypt.
"I want to talk about diversity here in our community," Sonya Shamseldin said.
She later handed the commissioners packets of information about Muslims and Arabs.
The Shamseldins recently aired complaints about Richardson. The couple says Richardson and other GOP activists spread religious slurs that could have been hurtful to them before the July 20 primary elections.
Sonya Shamseldin has said she is a Christian and that some of the people opposing her tried to link her faith and her husband's faith to her fitness for public service.
Richardson was the top vote-getter in the primary. Shamseldin was not among the winners. Pointing that out, Richardson has accused Shamseldin of harvesting "sour grapes."
A number of Richardson supporters attended Monday's meeting. Some of them held signs proclaiming, "We support Hood," while others carried bags of candy with the candidate's name on them.
Richardson has acknowledged that, during the campaign, "A lot of people were talking about the fact that Mo was a Muslim," including himself, when the subject came up.
Richardson has denied organizing any effort to discredit candidate Shamseldin. He has said religion "is important."
"We're at war with the Muslim nation," Richardson said during a recent interview. "I don't think any member of the public would have a problem understanding that."
During her presentation, Sonya Shamseldin introduced speakers, most of whom focused largely on their own lives and activities.
One of them, Ken Butler of Washington, described himself as a Christian. Butler read the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
"The United States is not a Christian country," Butler said. "The majority of the United States' people are Christians, as am I. But the United States was formed as a secular country."
Butler said there is a movement in America, "by people who don't understand and don't read the Constitution," to make America "into a Christian country. America is not a Christian country. It is secular. All people are created equal."
Referring to Richardson's comment about war, Butler added, "So to say we are at war with the Muslim nation is no different than a nation saying they are at war against Christianity."
When Butler implied the Bush administration "does not understand the Constitution," he was booed by a member of the audience.
Butler said he took exception to Richardson's comment about being at war "with the Muslim nation."
"It's a true statement," an unidentified audience member responded.
"Well, if it is true, then you are very much like a Nazi," Butler said.
Noting that the Constitution guarantees religious freedom, Mo Shamseldin said, "We should learn how to speak to other people, even if they're different, because they have different opinions. No one has the power in the United States to shut other people up because they are American citizens. We're all citizens."
Richardson argued that the U.S. was formed as a Christian nation.
"What the Constitution simply says is we're not going to have a state religion," he added.
Regarding his words about candidate Shamseldin, he stated, "I simply said that she is married to a Muslim. There's nothing untruthful about that. I'm allowed to say that. It is a political reality that we do look at the religion of people and the religious associations of people who are running for office. I will not be intimidated into not making those kinds of truthful statements."
Audience member Sam Woolard asked Tetterton whether the commissioners would allow other people to speak about their religions.
"We've opened the door; I think it should be extended to the public," Woolard said.
Another member of the public -- Chris Cayton -- also was scheduled to speak Monday night, Tetterton observed.
 |
 |
|
| 10 of 12 jurors vote 'guilty' | HHS Secretary Thompson lends his support |
