HARRISBURG, Ill. (AP) -- Thousands of people showed up at a rally to support the local board's decision to post the Ten Commandments in district schools.
The event Saturday night drew about 2,500 people to Southeastern Illinois Community College near here."Our meeting tonight is not about the Ten Commandments," said Darrell Scott, whose 17-year-old daughter Rachel was one of the 12 students and a teacher gunned down at Columbine High School in April. "It is about our young people -- our children."
The board unanimously approved posting the edicts last month, fueling a controversy that has already touched much of the country. From the Deep South to Southern California, displaying the Ten Commandments in government buildings has become a contentious topic in recent months.
The posting at Harrisburg, a southern Illinois community where there are a dozen churches for its 9,000 residents, is currently limited to the principal's office in each of the district's four schools. It includes the Bill of Rights and the Magna Carta in what supporters are calling a display of "historical documents."
"I think it is time for a change. We need good morals and standards back in school," said Steve Lewis, a father of three who attended the rally.
The board's newest member and the American Civil Liberties Union, however, are seeking a reversal of the decision, calling it illegal and coersive.
The board is expected to discuss the policy at a meeting on Tuesday.