Ten Commandements Doesn't Require Permit
According to the Washington Post-Officials with the D.C. Department of Transportation had said in a June 2 letter that Faith and Action lacked permission to erect the waist-high sculpture, which sits on the front lawn of the Capitol Hill rowhouse that holds the group's national offices. The officials threatened the group with $300-a-day fines, saying it needed permits from both the Transportation Department and the city's office of historic preservation because the rowhouse is in a part of the city deemed "public" and in a historic district.
Merrie Warren Turner, dressed as Betsy Ross, and other members of the evangelical Christian group Faith and Action unveiled a monument depicting the Ten Commandments in front of the group's offices in a Capitol Hill rowhouse this month. The property is across the street from the U.S. Supreme Court. (photo WP) |
Faith and Action's president, the Rev. Robert Schenck, organized an unveiling of the sculpture June 3. He contended that his group, which promotes public displays of the Ten Commandments, did not need a permit and that it was being singled out because of the display's religious nature.
Yesterday, Lars Etzkorn, associate director of the office of public space management administration at the Transportation Department, sent a letter to the group rescinding the earlier warning.
The letter stated that, "In view of the First Amendment interests reflected in the installation of the Ten Commandments sculpture . . . and upon further consideration of applicable law," the city now believes that no permits are required.
The First Amendment forbids Congress to make any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion or abridging freedom of speech.
Schenck said last night that because members of his group had yet to receive the city's letter, they would continue to prepare to defend themselves in court and possibly take legal action over what he called "harassment and intimidation" by the city.
"We have paid money, used valuable time and effort," he said. "We see this as "We see this as extremely important."
