Roy Moore Represents More Than Just the Ten Commandments

On June 6th, Alabama citizens will head to the polls to vote in the primary elections. Of particular importance this year is the race between the two Republican candidates: incumbent Bob Riley and his challenger Roy Moore. Most people in Alabama, indeed around the country, know the name Roy Moore due to his infamous refusal as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court to remove a monument of the Ten Commandments from the State Judicial Building in Montgomery which subsequently led to his removal from the position. While many in the state have mixed views about Judge Moore's decision, there is no question that he is a man of high character. As of now, Riley is well ahead of Moore in the opinion polls. He is favored by 69% of the population likely to vote in the primary according to one report in the Mobile Register. Essentially the overall feel in the state is that Roy Moore is a very honorable and respectable man but not really a serious candidate for Governor of Alabama. But Roy Moore's campaign is not just focused on kowtowing to the "religious right" as the media has proclaimed. Here is a summary of Moore's campaign platform taken from his website:

1. Legislative reform - Stop power of special interest lobbyists and return control of government to the people of Alabama.

* Term Limits. No legislator should be allowed to serve 3 consecutive terms in the same office, a provision already in effect for other constitutional officers.
* Fewer Legislative Sessions. The Alabama legislature should hold regular sessions every other year, as it has done during three periods of our history.
* "Double-Dipping." Iron-clad legislation to stop the unethical practice of legislators holding two state positions for profit, making them taxpayer-paid lobbyists for special interests.

2. Education - Recognize freedom in education and return control of education to the parents.

* Eliminate education bureaucracy and control of special interest labor union bosses.
* Explore enhancements to the public education system such as: charter schools, private tax credits, (SGO) scholarships granting organizations, etc.

3. Taxation and wasteful government spending - Restore a conservative philosophy of government.

* Just say "No" to irresponsible taxes like the "largest tax increase in history" recently proposed by the current administration.
* Revoke order mandating annual reappraisals of property which result in increased taxes every year.
* Stop "pork barrel" spending by strengthening the Governor's veto power.

4. Illegal aliens - Secure Alabama citizenship.

* Urge the President and U.S. Congress to close U.S. borders to illegal entry.
* Effective legislation to impose fines and penalties on those who employ illegal aliens for their own profit.

5. Morality - Preserve our moral heritage.

* Defend the right of every person to include teachers, judges, and state, county and municipal offices to publicly acknowledge God as the moral foundation of law, liberty, and government.
* Oppose gambling, pornography, and same-sex marriage.
* Secure God-given inalienable rights of life, liberty, and property.

It's quite obvious that Roy Moore is concerned with a lot more than simply pleasing the Christian base in Alabama. In politics, there is no more important aspect, in my own opinion, than a man's character. Alabama needs a man like Moore in the position of Governor. Even as his peers unanimously voted to suspend him from his position as Chief Justice, Judge Moore stood by his principles. There is no question that the GOP, on the national level, has started heading down a slippery slope by ignoring the values of the people who put them in their positions. Roy Moore understands this and seeks to revive strong conservative values in the state of Alabama by returning the state to the people. As June 6th approaches, I urge every Alabama resident to look at the issues from both Republican candidates and vote based on those issues. I know, without a doubt, who I'll be casting my vote for.

Tags: roy moore, Politics, Alabama, religion, alabama governor, news, Bob Riley