1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

The proposal to display the Ten Commandments in public schools raises significant concerns regarding the separation of church and state and the rights of students from diverse religious backgrounds. As a fundamental principle of our democracy, the government must remain neutral on matters of religion and avoid promoting or favoring any particular faith. Displaying the Ten Commandments, which are inherently religious texts, in public school classrooms would effectively endorse a specific religious belief system and make students of other faiths or no faith feel marginalized or like outsiders in their own schools. Public schools should be inclusive environments that welcome and respect students from all backgrounds, not spaces that privilege one belief system over others. Furthermore, mandating the display of the Ten Commandments could open the door to legal challenges and costly litigation for school districts, diverting much-needed resources away from the essential task of providing a quality education to all students. It is crucial to uphold the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and ensure that public schools remain secular institutions focused on academic instruction, rather than advancing any particular religious doctrine. I urge you to reject this misguided proposal and instead prioritize policies that foster an inclusive, welcoming, and respectful learning environment for all students, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack thereof.