Monument to himself

Arkansas Sen. Jason Rapert’s monument to Rapert now sits on state property and shouts to all who happen by, “I am the Lord thy God.”

It seems Rapert’s American History and Heritage Foundation is meant to mask his violation of the separation of church and state clause by pretending the religious text has historical significance as the foundation for the U.S. Constitution and laws.

Forget that the founding fathers allowed and participated in the slavery trade and in the exclusion of all from power and representation except landholding and rich white men.

The commandments clearly do not call for slaves, indentured servants, legalized rape, breaking up families, whippings, starvation, loitering laws, debt prisons, demeaning women, stealing land and despoiling the world’s soil, air and water for self-gain.

Rapert’s own press release violates at least one commandment: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,” which he does when he seeks to demean, as “anti-American,” anyone or group challenging him; one is to assume the senator is the real American.

Another biblical contrast to Rapert’s self-aggrandizing monument is that Moses smashed the tablets because in his absence his fellow wanderers had erected false idols, possibly similar in intent as the monument Rapert has championed.

BOB REYNOLDS

Conway