Wayback Machine: Summer 2005
Hangin The Ten
17 years ago
Jimmy Sams was trying to get reelected to the County
Commission. In a come from behind effort, Sams decided to gain
some attention for himself by nailing a 10 Commandments
display on the Commission room wall. He seemed proud of
himself before many locals showed up for a meeting
demanding the religious display be removed. Their issue was
separation of church and state rulings by the U S Supreme
Court. Many more, a solid majority, wanted the display to
stay. Sams was grinning from ear to ear.
With his tail tied in a knot and after Prosecutor Jeff
Davis told him, Nope, that's a religious display and can't be
there, All H fell on Jeff.
At the next CCC meeting, Davis changed his tune and
told Sams, buddy Oh pal, you got to hang some other stuff side
by side and call the "10" a historical display. Sams complied
and still more showed up and complained. One feller, we think
Jewish, attended and demanded the election year tactic
be removed. The crowd was ready to hang that guy.
Clayberry came unglued.
In support of separation of church and state, the Mel
Gibson Look Alike published an article with fingers pointing
at Jimmy Sams. Shirt hit the fan. Nails were
tossed in the Communicator parking lot. Threatening calls,
letters, and emails were received. On the street the bald
headed lad was shunned by many. Much like today, the local
rabble felt new power and went ballistic.
Back then there was a second local newspaper in town.
In that butt wipe rag, article after article was published
supporting the busting of a Supreme Court decision on the
subject.
The July 14th 2005, the Associated Press went to work
and the Charleston Daily Mail (and many other national media
outlets) entered the fray with this article:
The Clay County Commission voted
unanimously before an audience of nearly 200 to leave a plaque
of the Ten Commandments on
the wall of its chamber. The plaque is one of several
historical documents -- which include the Bill of Rights --
that are on display, said
Commissioner Jimmy Sams. The display has been up for several
years. The Commandments went up first and were followed a
couple of weeks later by the other documents.
"I knew the ACLU would say something, and
we just didn't want that to happen," Sams said Wednesday. "But
it happened anyway."
County resident Jesse Sizemore has asked
the commission several times to remove the Ten Commandments,
citing the constitutional requirement of separation of church
and state. Sizemore couldn't be reached for comment
Wednesday, but another resident opposed to
the display, Andy Waddell, said he thinks it's "scary" that
the Constitution and rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court "are
second class in Clay County."
"The issue is, will Clay County, West
Virginia, adhere to the Supreme Court and the law of the land?
That's the issue," he said. Last October, the American Civil
Liberties Union, which Waddell is a member of, sent a letter
to the commission stating that if the plaque
was not removed, there could be legal action.
The ACLU's West Virginia executive director,
Andrew Schneider, said Wednesday that the group was still
considering a lawsuit but has not filed one. "It's not
as if we haven't decided that the Ten Commandments plaque in
the county commission room of Clay County is violating the
law. . . . We are only considering how to deal with that
violation," Schneider said. "We view litigation as
a last resort." The Supreme Court issued split
rulings last month on the legality of displaying the Ten
Commandments at public buildings --
striking down framed copies in two Kentucky courthouses but
upholding a 6-foot granite monument on a 22-acre lot
surrounding the Texas Capitol.
The justices said Ten Commandments exhibits would
be upheld if their main purpose was to honor the nation's
legal, rather than religious, traditions, and if they didn't
promote one religious sect over another. Sams says
the Clay County display falls into the legal
category. "I don't think it's religion, it's law," he said.
But Schneider contends that the commission would
"face a heavy burden of proving that the displays do not
convey, and were not intended to convey, the religious message
that the Ten Commandments clearly represent."
"There are many different versions of the
Ten Commandments," Schneider said. "The Catholic version
differs from the Jewish version, which differs from the
many Protestant versions -- so how does one decide which
version is best? "The Ten Commandments
advocate religious beliefs that should be left to each
individual. . . . People should not be made to feel like
outsiders in their own community because they might not share
the dominant religious view.
"Religious freedom is alive and well in America
precisely because government cannot tell us what to believe
and cannot favor one religion over another," Schneider said.
So many people attended Wednesday's commission
meeting that the meeting was moved from the Clay County
Courthouse to Clay County High School. All but about
five of those in attendance were in favor of leaving the
display up, Sams said.....
For Sams, that part about the commandments
not being religious but merely a reference to law, that went
over like a you know what in a punch bowl.
Jeff Davis was in the grease also.
Sams lost his bid for office. Shortly thereafter, Davis
resigned from the Prosecutor slot.
It was a very trying time for the Communicator. Calling
the Ace Cub Reporter a communist and an atheist , a county
wide boycott was staged. Some local yocals pressured local
distributors with loss of business if they kept selling the
independent newspaper of choice. Some distributors bowed to
the threat of loss of business.
Instead of killing the struggling journal of record,
circulation (subscriptions anyway) grew as did support for not
boosting one religion over some other or no other.
In the middle of night maybe or at least without
anyone knowing about it, someone removed Sams' plastic over
particle board display never to be seen again.
Some local businesses put up signs in support of
keeping the 10. Other wrote letters to that just mentioned
wittle butt wipe rag.
Here's a couple that flamed the fires:
One of those public statements came from the local
funeral home. In response: Ya know, I had really hoped
that some of the more educated in Clay would realize that The
Supreme Court decision over the 10 Commandments is not against
the 10 Commandments. It makes me wonder if you are the kind of
establishment that would even have services of the non
offensive sort for us who are terrifically offended by
Christian Fundamentalists. What they are doing in Clay is a
disgrace to the bible. What you've done to your page is so
professional, NONE of my family will be using your services
ever again.Posted by: Clay County Citizen
07/18/2005 07:17 AM
Replying to the thought of loosing business, this was
published: Dear Clay County Citizen, I am
concerned to find out that you and your family will not be
using are services, I hope that you will reconsider your
decision, and allow us the honor to serve your family in your
time of need. We try to serve each of our families the way
that we ourselves would expect to be treated. We would in no
way ever discriminate against someone, or what they
believe!!!! We live in a great country, that allows us the
freedom of choice, to each their own. Just because we all do
not believe and support the same things does not make either
of us right or wrong it just makes us all different! I am
sorry that this has upset you, but it is just what we choose
to believe, and I hope that this will not keep you and your
family from allowing us to serve you! Posted by: B.J. Smith
07/18/2005 11:59 AM
The hard feelings remained as did the name calling and
a second batch of nails in the parking lot. The out of control
locals never realized how important it is for any and all to
be able to practice their faith without government
interference or preference.
County Clay gained national attention once again and as
usual, that attention was not in a good light.
Art Buck's quote comes to mind: Politics has changed as
of late, no longer can I separate the good lies from the bad.
AW