Texas is carrying out what may be the largest effort in modern times to restore a clear moral anchor in public schools by requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms under Senate Bill 10. The law was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Greg Abbott, taking effect this fall, and it reflects what many Texans see as a commonsense reminder of the moral code that helped shape our laws and liberties.
Across the state, classrooms are seeing posters arrive — some districts embraced the law and even paid to reproduce thousands of copies — while others have hesitated or chosen to wait for judicial clarity. That messy rollout is the result of activists and lawyers trying to turn every common-sense step toward moral education into a political and legal circus.
Unsurprisingly, the federal courts have stepped in to block enforcement in some districts, with a San Antonio judge ordering removal of displays in certain schools and other temporary injunctions issued elsewhere. Conservatives should be clear-eyed: this is a courtroom fight about who gets to define public life — local parents and state lawmakers, or activist judges insulated from the will of the people.
The human cost of the culture war is real; a Fort Worth theater teacher, Gigi Cervantes, publicly resigned rather than work in a classroom where the Ten Commandments would be displayed, saying she could not participate in imposing religious doctrine. While her conscience deserves respect, her decision to leave the classroom highlights how polarized our schools have become and how deeply the left’s narrative of coercion has been fed by activist groups.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has not ceded the field to the courts or to skeptical school boards, filing suits against districts that refuse to implement the statute and arguing the law reflects the clear will of Texas voters and our civic heritage. That fight is exactly where it needs to be: in courtrooms and in the court of public opinion, where citizens can contest overreach and insist on accountability.
Supporters on the ground point out what should be obvious — the Ten Commandments are part of the historical fabric that influenced Western legal traditions and civic conduct, and teachers who use the poster to teach history are doing exactly what parents expect. The attempt to paint this as an attempt at proselytizing is a convenient dodge for those who would prefer empty classrooms over teaching about the moral roots of law and liberty.
Yes, activist groups have secured temporary rulings against similar mandates in other states, but that only underscores how important it is for conservatives to keep fighting in the courts and at the ballot box. This is not merely about a poster; it is about whether the public square will tolerate the erasure of the faith-informed values that made American freedom possible.
Patriots who care about the next generation should get involved — attend school board meetings, support elected officials who defend local control, and back legal efforts that push these cases up to higher courts where the original intent of the First Amendment can be fairly examined. The stakes are simple and profound: either we allow our children to grow up without any moral signposts in public life, or we restore respect for the traditions that have long sustained American society.
