Stigler residents stand behind their Ten Commandment monument

Wednesday, March 2nd 2005, 10:11 am

By: News On 6

A US Supreme Court decision concerning the public display of the Ten Commandments could apply to a monument in Haskell County. But Stigler residents say they won't give up their 10 Commandments without a fight.

News on 6 anchor Scott Thompson says monuments in Texas and Kentucky are similar to one in Stigler at the Haskell County courthouse. Stigler resident Mike Bush spearheaded an effort to raise money for the monument.

The monument was dedicated in November, but might have to be removed if the Supreme Court declares monuments like this unconstitutional. Bush says he wasn't trying to make any kind of statement by putting this monument here, at least not beyond the commandments themselves.

The county is standing behind Bush and the monument and says it'll take the full force of law to get them to remove the commandments from the courthouse grounds. County commissioner Sam Cole: â€œI think there ought to be one in front of every school, every courthouse, and every federal building."

Bobby Martin, who lives in Stigler, says folks will defend the monument. "There'll be more people up here when they try and do away with this than you've ever seen in your life in a small community like Stigler."

The commissioners said they were told to expect opposition to the monument. But they say they've only heard two off-the-cuff comments questioning where the commandments were placed and no one has formally opposed the monument.