Ritze: Monument Will Be Repaired, Replaced

House Media Division

Rep. Mike Ritze, who paid for the Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol, released the following statement after the monument was destroyed overnight.

“While I am appalled that someone would go to such lengths to do violence to our Ten Commandments monument, I am not at all shocked. I am dismayed but not discouraged by this act of violence against the monument. This monument represents the values that an overwhelming majority of Oklahomans hold close. We are not going to be bullied; the monument will be repaired and replaced. I trust our law enforcement agencies will quickly apprehend the person or persons responsible for this crime, and those people will be held accountable.”

The monument will be restored using private funds.

Ritze added that the legal argument for the constitutionality of the monument is that:

1.  The Ten Commandments are an important component of the foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the State of Oklahoma;

2.  The courts of the United States of America and of various states frequently cite the Ten Commandments in published decisions; and

3.  Acknowledgements of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our nation’s heritage are common throughout America.

House Bill 1330, by Ritze, was enacted in 2009. It notes that “The placement of this monument shall not be construed to mean that the State of Oklahoma favors any particular religion or denomination thereof over others, but rather will be placed on the Capitol grounds where there are numerous other monuments.”


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