When former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore acted
on principle and refused to adhere to a federal court order that
he considered was both unlawful and improper, he never thought
that his actions would lead to an overwhelming groundswell of
support from across the country. His stance made headlines and
brought international attention to this modern-day, David vs.
Goliath showdown. Now, the same group of political and religious
leaders that supported his actions then, are calling for Justice
Moore to get back into the political arena and run for Governor
of Alabama, where they believe his "no nonsense" approach and
strong personal convictions will clean up a state known for its
"good ole boy" politics and special interest groups.
Moore was forced off the bench in November 2003 for defying a
Federal judge's order to remove a Ten Commandments monument from
public display in the state judicial building. The U.S. Supreme
Court refused to hear the case on appeal.
Moore struck a nerve in the nation's psyche as evidenced by the
reactions of the public, both pro and con. Former senator, Zell
Miller, flatly stated, "Throughout recorded history, brave men
have been called on to stand take a stand--sometimes for
country, sometimes for family, sometimes for the Lord above. Roy
Moore is such a man."
Former Ambassador to the United Nations and Presidential
candidate, Alan Keyes, went even further when he was asked about
his thoughts on Judge Moore, "There have been times in American
history when the courage or understanding of one individual
opened the door to the reform of major mistakes and injustices.
When Chief Roy Moore refused the unlawful order of a Federal
judge to remove the Ten Commandments from the Judicial Building
in Alabama, he proved himself to be such an individual. We
cannot yet know the full consequences of his principled stand .
.. but it will be profound." There were certainly statements to
the contrary, voiced by the political left, but the ratio of
detractors versus Moore fans was unbalanced in Moore's favor, to
say the least.
Roy Moore stood up yet again on another controversial issue when
certain special interest groups tried to impose on the citizens
of Alabama a significant additional tax called "Equity Funding,"
referred to by many as The Billion Dollar Tax increase. Judge
Roy Moore stood up to these special interest groups again when
they tried to sneak by Amendment 2 in 2004 which would have
given the courts the ability to raise taxes.
As a result of his outspoken position during speeches around the
country, quiet back room discussions about a possible run for
Alabama Governor started taking on a life of their own. A
committee was formed to draft Judge Moore for Alabama State
Governor. Judge Moore, upon hearing about the efforts of so many
people to convince him to run, expressed an interest in the
race, but is still officially undecided at this point. The
Committee is being co-chaired by former Alabama State Senator
Roy Smith of Gadsden, Alabama, and by George Hundley. George
Hundley served as Judge Moore's bailiff and personal assistant
in the circuit court in Gadsden. The committee has been focusing
on a petition drive, with the hope that enough signatures
statewide and nationwide will successfully result in encouraging
Judge Moore to make the decision to run.
The prospect of Judge Moore running for office became a national
topic of interest when he visited the Fox studios, where he was
questioned by Sean Hannity, of the highly popular Hannity and
Combs show. Hannity asked Moore point blank about his interest
in running and this now famous dialogue ensued:
HANNITY: All right. There is a lot of talk about you running for
governor of the State of Alabama.
MOORE: There is a lot of talk. I've been asked many times to
run, and I am seriously considering it. I'm praying about it,
and I'll make my decision sometime in the fall.
HANNITY: Has the door been opened for you?
MOORE: I think the door is open.
The show ended with Hannity asking Judge Moore to please come
back to the show and reveal the answer as to whether he would,
in fact, run.
For now, Moore continues to be showered by appeals by both
statewide Republican officials and national leaders to throw his
hat in the ring. He says he may decide as early as October on a
run for Governor. Meanwhile, the current Republican Governor Bob
Riley's approval rating was low in a recent poll that showed him
running behind both Moore and ex-Governor Don Siegelman in a
2006 re-election scenario.
United States Senator, Richard Shelby (R - Alabama), who has
been a vocal supporter of Judge Moore, was very clear about
Moore when he stated, "Former Chief Justice Roy Moore has raised
critically important issues facing our country today regarding
the acknowledgement of God. He reminds Americans that we cannot
allow activist judges to continue their disregard of some of the
basic principles on which our country was founded."
In recent days, the volume has been rising steadily from other
corners of the Republican party when Moore's name is mentioned.
Prominent conservative writer Ann Coulter recently stated, "In
the face of all our travails, Americans can take hope that God
has given us men like Roy S. Moore." Similar statements were
made by Oliver North, the host of "War Stories" on the Fox News
Channel, when the topic of Moore's faith was brought up: "Roy
Moore is a proven fighter for his faith and freedom."
The Draft Moore Campaign has taken a new turn recently as many
Moore devotees started asking about how they could help out. The
demands for a focal point for potential candidate Moore to run
grew to such a level that a web site was established to channel
the enthusiasm. The site, aptly named
www.WeNeedMoore.com, is
now being visited by thousands of Moore supporters who wish to
either volunteer time or provide support in the form of
donations. The site also features an inspiring video with Moore,
which includes some very surprising twists and turns. You can
watch the video by going to
www.WeWantMoore.com.Judge Moore has often stated he is praying about his decision to
run. We believe God will answer his prayer. Please join me in
showing him our support.
Bruce Prokopets
Executive Editor
Press Direct International
www.pressdirectint
ernational.org
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