Texas Senate Bill 10 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in June, which requires every public school classroom in the state to hang a large poster containing the Ten Commandments, according to capital.texas.gov. But according to KUT News, eleven of the largest school districts in Texas, including AISD, were blocked from displaying the posters after U.S. Judge Fred Biery’s ruling that the law challenged First Amendment rights. However the other 1000 plus school districts in Texas have been forced into displaying the posters.
The entire concept of this law violates student’s First Amendment rights and one of the basic principles the United States was founded on, separation of church and state.
The first of the Ten Commandments says that followers should believe in no God other than “The Lord,” according to the St. Michael Catholic Church. By posting this in public classrooms, it implies that any child that is a member of a different religion has done something wrong or is inferior.
The First Amendment of the Constitution states that the government cannot make any laws relating to the establishment of a religion. By forcing public schools to display a poster that says it is wrong to follow any religion other than Christianity, it seems to directly violate the principle of the First Amendment.
Someone might argue that most of the Ten Commandments have good values that students, no matter what their religion, should learn. I agree with this standpoint that values such as don’t steal, don’t hurt people, don’t lie, and respect your parents, should be taught to students of all ages.
However I think you can easily and more effectively teach these lessons using things such as SEL lessons, which are already in place in schools throughout Texas. By using SEL lessons like Character Strong, while students might not enjoy them, it still provides lessons relating to the principles of the Ten Commandments without excluding certain students.
So in order to protect student’s First Amendment rights and the basic founding principles of the U.S., this law needs to be repealed. It is progress that some of the biggest districts in Texas have become exempt to the law while they are sued for displaying the posters, but this needs to become a state-wide standard that religious documents like the Ten Commandments can’t be forced into public school classrooms.
By allowing students to practice any religion they want without pressure from other religions, it ensures that public schools remain a safe space where everyone can feel like they belong.
