Say Anything Blog

A Fargo city commissioner has called for a second debate, and subsequent vote, of the city’s leaders on the issue of whether or not to have a ten commandments monument on municipal property.

Fargo City Commissioner Tim Mahoney said today he wants to have another vote on whether to move the Ten Commandments monument off the City Hall mall and may possibly change his vote.

“Let’s have an open public discussion on the issue. Let’s let people have their input and then sort out what we think would be in the best interests of the community,” Mahoney said on WDAY’s “Hot Talk” radio show this morning.

Mahoney and Commissioners Linda Coates and Mike Williams voted Monday to move the monument by do-nating it to a private entity to be displayed on private property. Mayor Dennis Walaker and Commissioner Brad Wimmer dissented.

Mahoney noted that only Coates and Williams spoke before the vote, and only a half-dozen people were in the audience.

A public backlash has followed the vote, with some suggesting a recall of Coates, Mahoney and Williams. A petition also has been started to put the issue to voters.

I think this change in attitude probably has a lot to do with a Fargo Forum public opinion polls that shows citizens disagreeing with the city commission’s decision to move the monument at about a 3 - 1 ratio.

Methinks Commissioner Mahoney doesn’t want to get recalled by the voters.

Regardless, I still maintain that the least controversial way to solve this issue is simply to remove it to the voters.  Despite arguments from the anti-religion side about the unconstitutional nature of the monument, there isn’t actually anything illegal about it under constitutional law or otherwise.  So the real question at hand is whether or not the people of Fargo want the monument there or not.  Public opinion polls suggest they do, but the best way to know for sure is just to let the citizens speak with their votes.