In 2004, voters in Alabama were given an opportunity to remove racist language mandating separate schools for “white and colored children” and poll taxes from the state constitution … and they refused.
In 2012, it looks like they will get another chance … and “Ten Commandments Judge” Roy Moore is opposed to the effort because apparently trying to rid Alabama’s Constitution of the vestiges of racism makes Alabama look racist:
Republican Sen. Arthur Orr of Decatur got a Senate committee to vote unanimously Tuesday for his proposed constitutional amendment that would remove language providing for poll taxes and for schools separated by race.
The vote by the Constitution, Campaign Finance, Ethics and Elections Committee sends his legislation to the Senate, where its passage is almost assured because more than two-thirds of the senators are co-sponsors. If approved by both houses of the Legislature, it would go before Alabama voters in a statewide referendum in November 2012.
…
Moore, however, opposes the current amendment. He said the racist language is meaningless because of court rulings and is ignored by people, and he said Orr could do more damage to the state’s image by bringing it up for a statewide referendum.
“Painting Alabama as still racist is not a good thing for our state,” Moore said in an interview.
