MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Nov. 3, 2003 —

Statement by Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy S. Moore made today at a press conference held at the Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville, Ala.

“Thank you for coming today. I’d like to address a few points, of course we realize that the United States Supreme Court has declined to hear the petitions which we filed before them and of course I’m disappointed and that they would fail to hear one of the most fundamental issues which confronts us in the 21st Century, that is whether or not the state can acknowledge God and that is the issue in this case, that was the issue in this case, and will remain the issue in many cases across this land. The United States Supreme Court may turn a deafening ear to the people of the state of Alabama, but they will not be able to avoid the thunderous roar that’s going to be heard across this country, because we do not intend, as a people, to allow such an invaluable right to be taken from us.

“It’s a sad day, but not for me, it’s a sad day for the people of the state of Alabama, because they’ve had one, unelected federal judge tell the Chief Justice of this state that we cannot acknowledge God when indeed the Constitution of Alabama states that we must acknowledge God to establish our justice system. And I certainly find it strange that on the very day the President of the United States visits Birmingham, and said that liberty and freedom is a valuable right given by the creator God, by the Almighty I believe were his words, and yet the Chief Justice of Alabama can’t acknowledge God.”

Remarks of the Chief Justice Below:

“It’s not completely unexpected that the Supreme Court would decline to hear these petitions. Indeed just last year they overturned a precedent which existed for nearly 20 years regarding sodomy, and certainly this issue about God exists in nearly every state of this union, in their Constitution. When they overturned that precedent just last year, they turned to international law, disregarding the Constitution. Indeed many have said that the Constitution is no longer a relevant document. Indeed we’ve got a problem in this country when judges like Judge Myron Thompson who is the judge in this case, makes a speech before the ACLU in Atlanta just a few weeks ago about International law. We’ve got to understand that the law, the rule of law we uphold in this country, is not international law, it’s the Constitution of the United States which all judges are sworn to uphold under Article 6.

“But I want to tell you one thing, it’s not over. We do not intend to stop educating the people of this country. And indeed when one third of our country rejects God we are going to turn to the other two thirds, both the Executive and the Legislative branches. We intend to send the petition that we sent to Congress to all the Congressman so that they too can understand what this issue is about. Today, in this very building we are holding a conference in attempts to restrict a runaway judiciary, because that’s what we’ve got in this land.

“Now we do not intend to give up. We have only begun to fight. And that is exactly what the message to this people, of this country, need to hear. This battle’s not over. Judges are elected to uphold the law, not to make it. And we intend to fight this battle.”