Louisiana Requires Ten Commandments to Be Displayed in Every Public Classroom
New York TimesJun 19
Louisiana to Require Ten Commandments' Display in Public Classrooms
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The Facts
Louisiana has become the first US state to make the Ten Commandments display mandatory in every public school classroom.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed the bill — which requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments "printed in a large, easily readable font" — on Wednesday.
The Spin
Conservative narrative
This law is a significant move to reinforce America's ethical foundations and cultural heritage. Historically, the Ten Commandments have shaped American laws and morality, and displaying them acknowledges this legacy. Critics' arguments on church-state separation are moot as the Constitution doesn't explicitly mandate such separation. Louisiana's initiative reflects and strengthens a broader trend of emphasizing the US' foundational educational values.
Progressive narrative
This legislation undermines the separation of church and state by misrepresenting a sacred religious text as a secular historical document. It disregards constitutional protections and, while proponents argue it acknowledges the commandments' influence on Western legal principles, the law mostly promotes a specific religious doctrine. The mandatory display of the Protestant version of the commandments further exacerbates the issue.