Good! Too bad they can't get the idiots who put up the monument and decided to fight the ACLU to pay the judgment!
[kob.com]
"New Mexico city seeks help paying monument lawsuit fees
August 24, 2019 04:31 PM
FARMINGTON, N.M. - A New Mexico city has asked residents to help fund the remaining balance of fees resulting from a Ten Commandments monument lawsuit.
The Farmington Daily Times reported Thursday that the city of Bloomfield launched an online fundraiser asking for help coming up with $467,000 it owes the American Civil Liberties Union lawyers after courts ruled against them.
Officials say the ACLU represented several residents who said the monument violated their First Amendment rights.
Officials say the city owes lawyers $700,000 by June 30, 2021, and has already paid more than $200,000.
Anything not raised will be paid for using the gross receipts tax and is currently budgeted.
Officials say the resident-funded monument was displayed in front of city hall before being moved to a nearby church."
The sad thing is government empolyees only see their budget. They will not stop or consider stopping the violation of rights until they loose money in their budgets. So asking for even more money to cover for them will make no difference, they will still have their budgets. The one thing they generally do not have to worry about loosing their jobs as regular citizens. So fire them so that government employees ARE held accountable for their actions.
IMHO This more than anything demonstrates the issue I have with religion and religious people. Doesn't matter what brand all seek to put everyone under their belief umbrella and we have all seen the extremes some religions will go to if some do not want to be under that umbrella.
Americans fought to get away from religious persecution and while not exactly stated or having an Amendment all it's own we recognize separation of church and state. Many understand the meaning behind this ideal.
The religious right and far right rail against Sharia Law, yet they seek to impose Draconian abortion laws on women and their doctors based on their religious beliefs and they see no difference between their ideals and Muslim Sharia Law ideals.
I'm sorry the people who thought enough of this monument idea spent their money and unwisely decided to insert it where it did not belong. Had they just put the thing at a church where it belongs the city would not be on the hook for lawyers fees.
That said it is a large amount owned but at what level of cost does it become a punishment verses having to pay the consequences for stupid ideas.
Religious people frustrate me no end. smh
A town not far from me has this nonsense on 4 tall tablets that look like grave markers and placed right in front of the county seat court house. Presently they have fenced it off to spray grass seed in there real pretty like, then I suppose they will remove the fencing. Who ordered this or approved it? This looks tacky as hell and it does not make me think of any gods. It's like taking a nice building and then cluttering it up in front with concrete slab-like signs. Seeing this in Farmington, N.M. reminded me of it. This is more "un-godly" than anything.
For the reality of it just imagine a building of laws and due process with stupid sayings on a slab and it starts off with "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." What does that have to do with law? Someone please tell me because it really does not belong there.
As usual, there are different wordings between the three major religions, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish. Subtle differences for the most part, but differences. If one must choose, then one must go with the Jewish version. After all, Moses was Jewish. I just don't get why the religious folks want to ram religion down everyone's throat. Church property yes, public property no.
As much I agree with the ACLU on this one, I also agree with their assessment of cash bail... its a punishment. and in my opinioln, financial awards like this are too. hard to figure out the best solution, but this town is mega poor, and the people who are going to pay the most, are people who are going to feel even more bitter towards the ACLU.
Yeah, the lawyers' fees are insane and the people who end up paying aren't the ones who wanted the monument mostly.