Tuesday, October 12, 2004

True grit

The LA Times profiles Thomas van Orden, a homeless lawyer, who saves money by eating on alternate days, and has currently sued the State of Texas for breaching the First Amendment, which requires separation of Church and State. His allegation: a granite monument that stands outside the Texas Capitol in Austin, TX violates the said Amendment. Inscribed on the monument are the American Eagle, the Flag, and... the Ten Commandments! For over forty years, this granite slab went unnoticed. And then, along came van Orden.

His story is quite interesting. He is so broke for cash, that he doesn't know if he will be able to get to the Supreme Court in Washington to argue his case! Of course, even if he does that, he thinks he will probably sleep on the streets in Washington before arguing one of the most important cases in judicial history. The article is here.

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