Say Goodbye to Judge Roy Moore
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Although 77 percent of Americans feel there's nothing wrong with displaying the Ten Commandments in a court of law, a federal judge has ruled that's unconstitutional and the Supreme Court backs him up. End of story because if you don't obey the judicial branch of the government, you have chaos. Even if you don't like the ruling, you can't defy it and continue to serve in a government position.
Now Judge Roy Moore (search) knows that. And Talking Points believes he knew he would lose the fight, but he felt he had to make his point to as many people as possible and the judge has succeeded in doing that.
After his firing, Moore said this.
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ROY MOORE, FMR. ALABAMA CHIEF JUSTICE: I've been found guilty by a code of ethics that has established and acknowledgement of God is its source. I'll be discussing with my attorneys what court to pursue in this action. I have consulted with many state, political, and religious leaders. And I'll be making an announcement next week, which could alter the course of this country.
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All right. So Judge Moore has no more legal moves to make. I can only assume he'll run for office, perhaps president, and take his crusade directly to the folks. The system did the right thing in removing Moore. We simply cannot pick and choose the laws we like. Our system is flawed, but it is the best system on earth.
Moore's demise is the direct result of the culture war. We've talked about it a lot here on The Factor. Traditionalists are lined up against secularists. The traditionalists believe the country was founded on Judeo-Christian philosophy and that philosophy should be celebrated publicly. The secularists believe no mention of spirituality is appropriate in a public arena. They see it as encouraging religion.
Now I believe the traditionalists are correct, and I write about it extensively in Who's Looking Out for You? I've researched it thoroughly, and there's no question the founding fathers wanted a spiritual presence in public life. And they did this for a very practical reason.
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At that time, the federal government could not control the behavior of Americans, and the founders believed a strong moral code encouraged personal restraint and lawful behavior.
But that's all changed now. Powerful forces like The New York Times, some network news broadcasters, well-funded far left Web sites, and other organized forces have combined to drive the secular agenda into a very powerful lobby. Although the majority of Americans are traditionalists, the most persistent voices being heard are on the secular side. There are exceptions, of course. This broadcast being one of them.
So say good-bye to Judge Roy Moore and most likely hello to Candidate Roy Moore. Just another continuation of the culture war.
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And that's The Memo.
The Most Ridiculous Item of the Day
As you may know, The Factor will be out in San Francisco next Thursday doing a live event sponsored by KNEW Radio. We hope to see you all there.
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We also hope to see Mayor Willie Brown there. And having given him a little jazz on the radio, we want to talk to the mayor about the homeless situation.
Apparently, hundreds of you have called the mayor's office urging him to debate me, and we hope he's considering it. He's a lively guy, and this would be an important discussion.
It would be ridiculous if Mayor Brown doesn't show up. We'll even give him a signed book.
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And talking about signed books, I will be writing my name in Who's Looking Out for You? this coming Sunday in Huntington, Long Island, at 12:30 in the afternoon. My stomping grounds. The place is The Book Review in Huntington. Fine store. We hope you can make it, and we'll have some fun.
Finally, the results of the billoreilly.com poll. Did the Smart family exploit their daughter, Elizabeth? Eighty-one percent say yes! About 25,000 of you voted. Nineteen-percent no. I'm surprised the vote was so lopsided.
--You can watch Bill O'Reilly's Talking Points Memo and "Most Ridiculous Item" weeknights at 8 & 11p.m. ET on the Fox News Channel. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com