Ten Commandments display comes down in Hart County

HARTWELL — It appears a letter of inquiry is just as good as a threatened lawsuit.

Those are the sentiments of Mike Griffin, executive director for Ten Commandments Georgia, to a Decalogue’s removal last week from the Hart County courthouse. The action was set in motion when a letter of inquiry on the display was sent to county commissioners from the American Civil Liberties Union Aug. 24.

By the end of the next day, commissioners had the display removed. A public forum on the issue was held Aug. 29 at noon.

For Griffin, there are a couple of things particularly troubling about the development.

“A letter from the ACLU and unofficial vote by the board has resulted in a display provided by a private citizen with private funds to be taken down,” said Griffin, who also serves as Ten Commandments Georgia’s chairman for the Steering Committee in Hart County. “There ought to have been a public meeting and a public vote by the commissioners.”

In October of 2004, a meeting held by the commissioners of Hart County granted a request by a private citizen to put up a display of the Ten Commandments in the county courthouse. The letter from the ACLU to county commissioners, obtained by the Index, requests information on that meeting and any correspondence regarding the Ten Commandments display. At no point is there a request for the Ten Commandments’ removal or threat of an impending lawsuit.

“I was not shocked that the commissioners would cave, but disappointed it was done so quickly and without public input,” said Griffin. “Apparently now the ACLU, backed by an out-of-control judicial system, only has to send a letter and not even threaten to sue for people to run for the hills.

“This is exactly the intimidation that’s intended,” he continued. “It’s moral terrorism and meant to use fear for control.

“All of this came about when the ACLU requested public records. It has been assumed by a majority of the commissioners that the sending of a letter is the same as being sued. Ten Commandments displays now can come down for the price of a stamp.”

Griffin said those who want to help in establishing the display of the Ten Commandments can log onto the group’s Web site at www.thoushalt.org.

On Oct. 3, Ten Commandments Georgia will hold a fundraising dinner at the Capital City Club in downtown Atlanta. Among the noted speakers will be former governor Zell Miller.

In another development, the copy of the Ten Commandments which hung in the Barrow County Courthouse for more than two-and-a-half years will soon appear on eBay. Griffin said the county commissioners had signed the back of the framed copy to authenticate its origin and returned it to the organization.

Ten Commandments Georgia plans to place the historic document on the popular Web site this week as a way of raising funds to reduce their debt of approximately $52,000 to the legal defense. As that debt is erased, future fundraising efforts will go toward placing smaller copies of the document in homes statewide. Griffin stated that one businessman has said he would start the bidding at $1,000.