User:Regutten/sandbox/arkansas10commandments

The Ten Commandments Monument is an outdoor monument installed on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the United States. The monument is being challenged as unconstitutional by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU says that the monument demonstrates a religious preference, violating the First Amendment and the religious preference prohibiton clause of the Arkansas State Constitution.

History
The monument was erected on the Arkansas State Capitol grounds on 27 June 2017. The monument was destroyed within 24 hours of its installation. The mentally ill man who rammed the monument with his car while live streaming the crime, Michael Tate Reed, 32, of Van Buren, Arkansas, was linked to a similar incident with the Ten Commandments Monument on the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds in 2014. Reed is a self-described devout Christian, and before driving into the monument, Reed posted a video explaining that, while he loved Jesus and lived by the Commandments, he firmly believed in separation of church and state. The Freedom From Religion Foundation, which had criticized the erection of the monument on public government property, also criticized the illegal destruction of the monument. In a news release, FFRF stated: "FFRF does not condone violating the Constitution by erecting a Ten Commandments monument on the Arkansas Capitol grounds. Nor do we condone breaking the law to remove such a display."

Following private fundraising from State Senator and Christian minister Jason Rapert, the monument was replaced in April 26, 2018. Following the replacement of the monument, Mr. Rapert has continued to make reference to the monument's destruction as part of his efforts to raise additional funds, falsely claiming that the monument was destroyed by the Satanic Temple, the ACLU, and members of the American Atheists.

As a form of protest against the erection of the 10 commandments monument, the Satanic Temple offered to put up a bronze statue of Baphomet as a symbol of religious pluralism and freedom. However, the statue of Baphomet (a goat-headed, winged creature who in the statue is seated and accompanied by two smiling children) cannot be legally be installed because of a 2017 Arkansas law that requires legislative sponsorship for consideration of any monument. According to the Satanic Temple, the states legislature's rejecting one monument while allowing the other demonstrates an illegal religious preference. . As part of their protest, on November 15 the Satanic Temple temporarily displayed the statue on government property. State senator Rapert told THV 11 news that he "respects everyone's right to free speech under the First Amendment." But, he continued, "It will be a very cold day in hell before an offensive statue will be forced upon us to be permanently erected on the grounds of the Arkansas State Capitol".

The monument is being challenged as unconstitutional by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU says that the monument demonstrates a religious preference, violating the First Amendment and the religious preference prohibiton clause of the Arkansas State Constitution.