Elie Honig on Ten Commandments Display in Schools: ‘Flagrant Violation’ of First Amendment

COLLINS You don t ░░░░░░░░ need to look at ░░░░░░░░ to see what they ░░░░░░░░ But this is actually ░░░░░░░░ size This is 11 ░░░░░░░░ 14 This is what ░░░░░░░░ size that has to ░░░░░░░░ printed obviously clearly legible ░░░░░░░░ can read this And ░░░░░░░░ s just notable that ░░░░░░░░ is what they re ░░░░░░░░ has to be in ░░░░░░░░ classroom But my first ░░░░░░░░ was you know is ░░░░░░░░ this regardless of size ░░░░░░░░ it violate the First ░░░░░░░░ HONIG Yes flagrantly in ░░░░░░░░ view If you wanted ░░░░░░░░ perfect example of what ░░░░░░░░ First Amendment prohibits I ░░░░░░░░ this is it The ░░░░░░░░ Amendment says Congress government ░░░░░░░░ make no law respecting ░░░░░░░░ of religion meaning state ░░░░░░░░ can t do things ░░░░░░░░ endorse any particular religion ░░░░░░░░ religiosity in general And ░░░░░░░░ you look at those ░░░░░░░░ there are some I ░░░░░░░░ one of the defenses ░░░░░░░░ well these are themes ░░░░░░░░ are consistent throughout civilized ░░░░░░░░ and throughout religion Shall ░░░░░░░░ kill number six I ░░░░░░░░ cheating because I m ░░░░░░░░ but you know don ░░░░░░░░ kill don t rob ░░░░░░░░ t steal that kind ░░░░░░░░ thing But there are ░░░░░░░░ commitments that are inherently ░░░░░░░░ Observe the Sabbath day ░░░░░░░░ m the only God ░░░░░░░░ you may worship So ░░░░░░░░ s an inherently religious ░░░░░░░░ I should add this ░░░░░░░░ up before In 1980 ░░░░░░░░ was a case out ░░░░░░░░ Kentucky and the Supreme ░░░░░░░░ almost exact same facts ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court said ░░░░░░░░ COLLINS I m glad ░░░░░░░░ brought that up because ░░░░░░░░ Landry said basically he ░░░░░░░░ t wait to be ░░░░░░░░ He was bracing for ░░░░░░░░ The ACLU weighed in ░░░░░░░░ and said they are ░░░░░░░░ they ve made that ░░░░░░░░ in a tweet tonight ░░░░░░░░ this does go up ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court which ░░░░░░░░ what we have seen ░░░░░░░░ lot of conservative groups ░░░░░░░░ to have happen what ░░░░░░░░ the reception compared to ░░░░░░░░ Is it a friendlier ░░░░░░░░ to an argument like ░░░░░░░░ the 10 Commandments up ░░░░░░░░ the classroom than it ░░░░░░░░ before Rogers Yeah so ░░░░░░░░ think it is a ░░░░░░░░ court The problem is ░░░░░░░░ s unlike some of ░░░░░░░░ cases that we ve ░░░░░░░░ in recent years where ░░░░░░░░ have pushed to the ░░░░░░░░ on this issue So ░░░░░░░░ case from a couple ░░░░░░░░ years ago with that ░░░░░░░░ high school football coach ░░░░░░░░ prayed before the games ░░░░░░░░ s a conflict between ░░░░░░░░ free exercise of religion ░░░░░░░░ everyone else who says ░░░░░░░░ s an establishment clause ░░░░░░░░ We don t want ░░░░░░░░ religion to be foisted ░░░░░░░░ to us So when ░░░░░░░░ have those two things ░░░░░░░░ conflict this court has ░░░░░░░░ ruled for the individual ░░░░░░░░ says they re exercising ░░░░░░░░ right You don t ░░░░░░░░ that side of it ░░░░░░░░ This is the legislature ░░░░░░░░ Here s the religion ░░░░░░░░ we re putting in ░░░░░░░░ of all school children ░░░░░░░░ don t care if ░░░░░░░░ re Christian Muslim if ░░░░░░░░ re atheists they all ░░░░░░░░ to look at this ░░░░░░░░ document You don t ░░░░░░░░ a person saying This ░░░░░░░░ violating my individual religious ░░░░░░░░ rights So given that ░░░░░░░░ s one sided I ░░░░░░░░ t see how they ░░░░░░░░ rule for that nonexistent ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ clear violation COLLINS So ░░░░░░░░ believe it ultimately gets ░░░░░░░░ down Rogers I do ░░░░░░░░ But if it s ░░░░░░░░ its way to the ░░░░░░░░ Court and making its ░░░░░░░░ I mean there s ░░░░░░░░ these appeals playing out ░░░░░░░░ this stay in place ░░░░░░░░ teachers have to put ░░░░░░░░ up in the classroom ░░░░░░░░ the meantime HONIG That ░░░░░░░░ a great question It ░░░░░░░░ depend on what the ░░░░░░░░ courts do I think ░░░░░░░░ of the first things ░░░░░░░░ ACLU if they make ░░░░░░░░ on their promise to ░░░░░░░░ will ask for is ░░░░░░░░ stay essentially You have ░░░░░░░░ put this thing on ░░░░░░░░ while we litigate it ░░░░░░░░ will say there s ░░░░░░░░ harm that will be ░░░░░░░░ and are likely to ░░░░░░░░ And look the fact ░░░░░░░░ this essentially already came ░░░░░░░░ in 1980 in Kentucky ░░░░░░░░ t mean this court ░░░░░░░░ going to do the ░░░░░░░░ thing First of all ░░░░░░░░ was 40 however 44 ░░░░░░░░ ago Second of all ░░░░░░░░ was a 5 4 ░░░░░░░░ All nine justices have ░░░░░░░░ turned over And as ░░░░░░░░ said the trend recently ░░░░░░░░ been in favor of ░░░░░░░░ among the Supreme Court ░░░░░░░░ I wouldn t guarantee ░░░░░░░░ result but to me ░░░░░░░░ is a great example ░░░░░░░░ violates the First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ And it reminds me ░░░░░░░░ Roy Moore in Alabama ░░░░░░░░ he was a judge ░░░░░░░░ and he had the ░░░░░░░░ Commandments and it was ░░░░░░░░ huge fight that was ░░░░░░░░ out over whether or ░░░░░░░░ he could keep it ░░░░░░░░ ultimately he had to ░░░░░░░░ it Rogers Yeah he ░░░░░░░░ I mean when you ░░░░░░░░ down to just this ░░░░░░░░ clause question this should ░░░░░░░░ the result right I ░░░░░░░░ we know that this ░░░░░░░░ doesn t always follow ░░░░░░░░ but if they do ░░░░░░░░ this should have to ░░░░░░░░ removed or not go ░░░░░░░░ in the first place ░░░░░░░░ One more point The ░░░░░░░░ you quoted him before ░░░░░░░░ well it s good ░░░░░░░░ kids to know this ░░░░░░░░ it is I mean ░░░░░░░░ believe it is but ░░░░░░░░ s different from a ░░░░░░░░ of whether violates the ░░░░░░░░ Amendment The First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ t about what s ░░░░░░░░ for kids or bad ░░░░░░░░ kids There s plenty ░░░░░░░░ things that are protected ░░░░░░░░ the First Amendment or ░░░░░░░░ by the First Amendment ░░░░░░░░ might be good for ░░░░░░░░ but that s a ░░░░░░░░ reason that s not ░░░░░░░░ constitutional reason COLLINS Yeah ░░░░░░░░ arguments aren t mutually ░░░░░░░░ Elie Honig Jen Rogers ░░░░░░░░ to have you both ░░░░░░░░ this tonight.”