Published: December 04, 2006 06:39 pm      

Courthouse Moses draws ACLU's attention

Although it appeared to be a gorilla to some at first glance, to many it was clear that the wooden chainsaw-carved statue on the courthouse sidewalk was Moses holding the Ten Commandments.

In an effort to determine if the county is offering a public forum for free speech expression, a letter was written to County Mayor Brock Hill from the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN). The letter was revealed during Thursday night's building and grounds committee meeting of the Cumberland County Commission. The letter came out during a discussion of the Moses statue.

"Were you aware that the ACLU had written a letter to the county mayor on this subject about Moses?" Cumberland County resident John Wund asked the committee members.

"No, I have no knowledge of a letter. Have they written a letter?" 1st District Commissioner and building and grounds committee chairman Harry Sabine asked.

"Yes, they have," Wund responded.

"Brock, have you gotten the letter?" Sabine asked County Mayor Brock Hill.

"Yes, I got a letter and I gave it to the county attorney and have not heard back about it," County Mayor Brock Hill said.

The letter, dated Nov. 13, reads: "Dear Mayor Hill, American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) recently learned that a statue of Moses holding the Ten Commandments has been placed on the sidewalk directly in front of the Cumberland County Courthouse. While it is our understanding that the county neither erected the statue nor granted permission for the statue to remain, it has not been removed. The decision to allow the statue to remain indicates the creation of a public forum for free expression. We write requesting written confirmation that this display area has in fact been deemed an open public forum, as required by law ... ACLU-TN embraces the unique American right to freedom of speech and expression ... By writing today, ACLU-TN simply requests written confirmation that an open forum has indeed been created such that all persons may express their religious, political, commercial and civic views freely in this public setting."

The letter was written by the ACLU-TN Director Hedy Weinberg.

"We received so many calls, letters and requests about the Moses statue that we felt the letter was necessary," Hedy Weinberg, ACLU-TN director, said in a telephone interview. "We haven't gotten a response back from Mr. Hill. I understand the statue has been removed, though, and now a nativity scene is there. That is clearly a religious expression."

Weinberg continued by saying the ACLU-TN had not received any complaints about any individual or organization being denied to display an expression in Cumberland County.

If requests by others who wish to hold a display are denied by the county, then it could create a problem, Weinberg said.

The building and grounds committee is waiting to hear an opinion on the letter from county attorney Jim Thompson.