# Happy Dance! Moron ALA chief justice suspended from office! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 23, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073 "2003-08-23T01:45:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/41 "2003-08-25T18:52:16Z")
[quote] [QUOTE] _Originally posted by rjung_ Certifying once and for all that Alabama is the home of clueless morons > [@](#): > > The above statement really pisses me off. _( **rjung** points to the smiley in his original message)_šŸ™‚ Itā€™s a joke, dear. Iā€™m from California, we know all about goofball election antics here. > [@](#): > > Moore is an idiot. But not everybody in Alabama is a clueless moron. Well, not unless Moore is voted in as governor, anyway. šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/42 "2003-08-25T19:12:28Z")
My apologies, **rjung**. I have heard one too many ā€œnews reportsā€ on Moore and all us ā€œbackwardsā€ Alabamians today. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/43 "2003-08-25T19:19:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > \*\*This guy is an un-American, sanctimoneous, intollerant mother fucking asshole. I hope he dies. > > Haj \*\* [Bad hajario](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=168963) ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/44 "2003-08-25T19:54:39Z")
Letā€™s have a little perspective here, folks. Justice Moore may be a sincere, albeit deluded Christian or a shrewd demagogue expoliting deeply held religious beliefs for political gain, or maybe a mixture of the two. But however harmful his acts may be to the curtain of SOCAS, he is not harming any person directly or indirectly. Heā€™s not advocating the death penalty for gay people or proposing that death camps be set up for atheists, so wishing death on the man is way, way uncalled for. One would think that cheap shots and derisive laughter would be the most condign response to his antics. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/45 "2003-08-25T20:15:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hamlet \* > \*\*[Bad hajario](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=168963) \*\* I thought that applied to other message board users, not some dude in the news. If I erred, I apologize. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/46 "2003-08-25T22:20:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > **Justice Moore may be a sincere, albeit deluded Christian or a shrewd demagogue expoliting deeply held religious beliefs for political gain, or maybe a mixture of the two. But however harmful his acts may be to the curtain of SOCAS, he is not harming any person directly or indirectly. Heā€™s not advocating the death penalty for gay people or proposing that death camps be set up for atheists, so wishing death on the man is way, way uncalled for.** While I agree with you that death is an overreaction to the actions of Justice Moore, I disagree on the ā€œharming any person directly or indirectlyā€ bit. In fact, so does the court he was first tried in, and the 11th circuit court(amusingly enough, the court his attorney general, Bill Pryor, [the 11th circuit opinion(PDF)](http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/religion/glsrthmre70103opn.pdf)(which poor **Hamlet** has been trying and trying to get people to read, without much success as far as I can tell. Cites snipped and **emphasis mine** ) > [@](#): > > For Establishment Clause claims based on non-economic harm, **the plaintiffs must identify a ā€œpersonal injury suffered by them as a consequence of the alleged constitutional error, other than the psychological consequence presumably produced by observation of conduct with which one disagrees.ā€** > > In this type of case, plaintiffs have standing if they are ā€œā€˜directly affected by the laws and practices against [which] their complaints are directed,ā€™ā€such as where the plaintiffs are ā€œā€˜forced to assume special burdensā€™ to avoid ā€˜unwelcome religious exercises,ā€™ā€ > > The location of the monument in the rotunda of the Judicial Building makes it impossible for anyone using the stairs, elevators, or restrooms to avoid it. Everyone going to the state law library in the building has to walk past the monument. The three plaintiffs are attorneys whose professional duties require them to enter the Judicial Building regularly, and when they do so they must pass by the monument. None of them shares the Chief Justiceā€™s religious views, and all of them consider the monument offensive. It makes them feel like outsiders, and two of the plaintiffs have altered their behavior as a consequence. As we noted earlier, one of those two has incurred expenses in order to minimize contact with the monument, purchasing law books and online research to minimize use of the state law library and hiring messengers to file documents in the courts located in the building. > > **Under these facts, the two plaintiffs who have altered their behavior as a result of the monument have suffered and will continue to suffer injuries in fact sufficient for standing purposes.** I guess we could hand-wave the complaints of these lawyers and call them whiny bitches for getting upset at having to walk around a hunk of rock occasionally, but that would tend into the area of deciding who can be offended at what and thatā€™s too close to thought policeville for my tastes. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/47 "2003-08-25T23:05:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gobear \* > \*\*Letā€™s have a little perspective here, folks. Justice Moore may be a sincere, albeit deluded Christian or a shrewd demagogue expoliting deeply held religious beliefs for political gain, or maybe a mixture of the two. But however harmful his acts may be to the curtain of SOCAS, he is not harming any person directly or indirectly. Heā€™s not advocating the death penalty for gay people or proposing that death camps be set up for atheists, so wishing death on the man is way, way uncalled for. > > One would think that cheap shots and derisive laughter would be the most condign response to his antics. \*\* Given that he clearly puts _his version_ of Christian law ahead of mere statutory law, would YOU want to be on trial before him? I think he is harming everyone who comes before him on the bench. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/48 "2003-08-26T10:12:14Z")
Royā€™s been in the news for things besides the ten commandments. Such as, I donā€™t know, putting his version of Christian law before mere statutory law. I _thought_ I remembered this case. [http://www.365gay.com/NewsContent/082303judgeMoore.htm](http://www.365gay.com/NewsContent/082303judgeMoore.htm) He is known for his conservative Christian views in rendering decisions. In February 2002 when the state supreme court ruled against a lesbian mother who was seeking custody of her three daughters Moore used a litany of homophobic adjectives that had gay rights advocates calling for his removal from the bench. Moore said that homosexuality is ā€œan inherent evilā€ that should not be tolerated. His decision went on to say that the motherā€™s relationship made her an unfit parent and that homosexuality is ā€œabhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature, and a violation of the laws of nature.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/49 "2003-08-26T12:54:30Z")
[url=ā€œ[http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html\_standard.xsl?/base/news/1061889567134501.xml](http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/1061889567134501.xml)ā€]Details The company who originally put the monument there wonā€™t take it down. According to a radio spot I heard this morning, they are having a hard time finding ANY company to do it because the protesters have vowed to boycott any company that helps. How much longer is this going to drag on and make our state look ridiculous? ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/50 "2003-08-26T12:59:38Z")
[Details](http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/news/1061889567134501.xml) Sorry about thatā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/51 "2003-08-26T14:21:32Z")
In order to cut down on the number of people who take offense at this, why donā€™t they just cover it in Confederate flags? ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/52 "2003-08-26T14:39:12Z")
I like the way you think, **lno** šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/53 "2003-08-26T14:55:25Z")
Let me at the fucking thing with a jackhammer for a bit and itā€™ll be out of there in pieces. Now the lunatics are suing to keep it there, claiming that moving it would violate their ā€œfreedom of religion.ā€ The ultimate good ending of this would be for the monument to topple over onto Moore in the midst of a particularly vivid pontification. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/54 "2003-08-26T17:26:38Z")
Why not just start bringing in the statues (like **Beagle** mentioned) of Vishnu and Buddah and momuments to Allah? Of course, the momument to the IPU has already been there for so longā€¦ Would plurality solve this issue, or just piss off EVERYBODY? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/55 "2003-08-26T17:49:47Z")
How many statues would reasonably be required to represent everyone? What statue would you place for atheists? What about agnostics? SInce the T.C. are drawn from a Jewish book, does that count for the Jews, the Christians, or both? What if someone getrs upset at the placement of their statue, claiming that having it next to another statue or not placed in the exact center of the room violates her religious freedom? Plurality solves nothing. Getting the fucking statue out of the courthouse solves everything. ā€œFreedom of religionā€ does not guarantee anyone the right to a 2.5 ton slab of rock in the middle of a courthouse. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/56 "2003-08-26T18:00:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*The ultimate good ending of this would be for the monument to topple over onto Moore in the midst of a particularly vivid pontification. \*\* Thatā€™s like my ideaā€¦the irony would be delicious if the courthouse burned to the ground, monument destroyed, etc. and it was determined that the cause of the fire was 'an act of god", i.e. lightning. What sort of signal would that send? ---
**Author:** ![lno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@lno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lno)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/57 "2003-08-26T18:19:08Z")
Thanks, **wring**. It was that or propose changing it to a golden calf. I mean, everyone likes cute little moo-cows, right? Nothing wrong with a golden calf in a place of honor, is there? ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/58 "2003-08-26T18:20:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hajario \* > \*\*This guy is an un-American, sanctimoneous, intollerant mother fucking asshole. I hope he dies. > > Haj \*\* He will. I promise. ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073/59 "2003-08-26T18:36:45Z")
Sidenote to this story based completely on a conversation I just had at lunchā€¦I have no cite for this and Iā€™m not stating it as a fact, but what I was told. I had lunch with a business associate/friend of mine who is also friends with the president of the company that made and installed the monument. He relayed a conversation to me that he had with the president yesterday. Apparently the guy got a call a while back from a guy in Huntsville who asked him if they could make the monument. The guy says he had no idea it had anything to do with Judge Mooreā€¦he just thought it was for a church or something. They discussed the details and agreed on a price. A little while later when it is finished the guy says he is going to come out and look at it before they deliver it. He shows up with Judge Roy Moore. Now the president of this company told my friend he couldnā€™t give a rats ass about moving it in or out because it was just a job to him but he doesnā€™t want his trucks or his company named flashed all over the news now if he goes back in there to remove it. That is why he has refused to accept the job. Apparently the guy thinks Moore is an idiot but he wants to stay out of the spotlight as much as he possibly can. Againā€¦I have no cite for thisā€¦just passing on a story from a reliable source. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-dance-moron-ala-chief-justice-suspended-from-office/197073.md?page=2)