EXCLUSIVE: ‘Stand Firm’ Says Sen. Dotson On Bringing The Ten Commandments To Classrooms

dlewis33 from Getty Images Signature / Image Provided by Arkansas Senate

Million Voices spoke exclusively with Arkansas Sen. Jim Dotson in June as the state ramps up to deliver the Ten Commandments back to classrooms.

The Ten Commandments were part of American education up until roughly 50 years ago, a fact that many on the fundamentalist left don’t want you to know. For longer than America has existed, the children who walked these lands were educated on the importance of these fundamental lessons for life, regardless of their religious upbringing.

In the creation of our nation, the Founding Fathers quoted, referenced, and wrote about the Bible more than any other single text, proving that Christian faith was part of our patriotic foundation. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Sen. King Explains How Texas Is Bringing Biblical Values Of Our Founding Fathers Back To Schools LEGALLY)

We spoke exclusively with Sen. Dotson about how these core lessons in American patriotism are returning to classrooms and public spaces throughout his state, and how you can get involved in helping bring them to yours too!

What do you think the long-term impacts of the Ten Commandments bill will be for the people of Arkansas. “Long-term, I hope that this legislation allows us to return to the history and traditions of the U.S. I hope it allows our children to see and understand the Ten Commandments, and how they influenced the founding of our nation and the laws of society.” How about for the youngest generations specifically? “I hope they begin to read and learn and take the lessons within the Ten Commandments, and apply them to their life.”

Last week, Million Voices spoke at length with Texas Sen. Phil King about his state’s mission to bring the Ten Commandments back to classrooms. He described how this is only possibly thanks to the overturning of a short-held Supreme Court ruling, colloquially known as the “Lemon Test,” which allowed bad case law to proliferate and remove religious freedoms from America’s public square. (MORE NEWS: Ten Commandments Bill Arrives In Pennsylvania)

“The overturning of the ‘Lemon Test’ allows us to teach our children the actual history and tradition of America. That’s all we’re trying to do, is return to these foundations our nation was built upon,” Sen. Dotson noted. “I think this is a great first step in education for our young people to understand where this nation comes from.”

How To Get Involved

Volunteer groups, organizations, churches and more will need to get involved in bringing posters of the Ten Commandments back to Arkansas classrooms. “There are so many organizations working right now to implement this law as far as a project to help volunteer and pay for the displays in schools. All of these displays are donated, they are not paid for by tax-payer dollars, so it’s all voluntary contributions of the framed copies or copies of the posters themselves,” Sen. Dotson explained. (RELATED: Trump Shares Moving Private Text From Ambassador Huckabee Amid Iranian Attacks Against Israel)

“Many of these organizations will be contributing posters, and since they haven’t existed for the last 40-50 years, there will be many attempts to come up with designs and posters that fit the parameters of the law, and as those are released over the next month – through organizations like yours – people can begin to go and contribute to that effort, and even sponsor their own local public buildings and schools.”

“We’re trying to get as many people to participate as volunteers in their local communities, as it is only by having people locally involved can we make sure these places get the posters up, and to stay up on the walls,” he added.

Advice For Other States Looking To Enact Similar Legislation

“Make sure you have a thick skin,” he joked when asked about how other states should prepare and get involved in this mission. “But make sure you have a strong, solid foundation on why you are getting involved in this. Be ready to take any criticism or heat that comes from it. And then: stand firm because there are more that are in favor of something like this than are opposed, but those opposed often have the loudest voices.” 

Dotson, like so many other lawmakers from states like Louisiana, Texas, and Pennsylvania, is helping “any and all states who want Ten Commandments legislation, who want ‘In God We Trust’ legislation,” he continued. “We’re here to help and we want to be the example. We’re here to help answer any questions, address any concerns, or even just share what we’ve learned along the way.” (RELATED: ‘Separation Of Church And State Is A Lie’: Legal Precedent Collapses Bringing Religious Freedom To US)

Dotson’s dedication to this mission is unlike most of the lawmakers I have to talk to within my work. He’s measured, kind, generous, and clearly listens to the wants and needs of his constituents so he can pick the battles he knows he can win for the people who gave him their vote. 

Get Involved With Getting The Ten Commandments In US Schools!

We’re helping to restore the Ten Commandments to America’s public schools — starting with Texas and Arkansas! We can’t do this without your help. Together, we can restore timeless values and build a stronger moral foundation for generations to come.