Tomorrow’s special election for the United States Senate was supposed to have been a mere formality for the Republican nominee.  And, yet, this election has turned our state into a center of controversy and the object of scorn directed at Alabama voters from those outside of the state’s border.

Our readers have flooded us with messages of confusion, dismay, dissatisfaction, anger and resolve.  Many of those feelings we share with them, particularly the attacks on Christian conservatives.  We care about Christian conservatives because that is who we are.  When we see attacks aimed at our friends, neighbors and readers, and an election with so much at stake, we feel compelled to speak up.

As a news outlet, we have not been afraid to wade into the controversy surrounding Roy Moore.  We believe many of the things the women have said. We also believe some of the allegations have been credibly refuted. One woman has admitted that she falsified certain parts of the evidence that she put forth. Forty years is a long time. The uncomfortable reality in a situation like this is that memories fade and recollections become foggy. Many aspects of our justice system reflect that reality.

The validity of these claims aside, our disappointment with Moore centers primarily on his handling of the allegations. He initially acknowledged that he had known some of the women but nothing inappropriate occurred.  Then he changed his story. Perhaps he made the political calculation that a full on denial of anything and everything was the path to victory. In our estimation, that amounted to unnecessary deception.

Moore has been the object of intense scrutiny for more than two decades. Liberal groups who think that the words “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion” should mean something other than what they do have fought him relentlessly for years. They have spent millions of their Hollywood-elite dollars to oppose him. During that time, nothing along the lines of these allegations has ever surfaced.  And we are also encouraged by the fact that certain social norms acceptable forty years ago have dissolved for the better.

None of this has stopped the attacks. Attacks on our state, our citizens and our beliefs.

At the end of the day, regardless of the circumstances 40 years ago, we’re not going to defend the actions of Roy Moore back then or his evasiveness during this special election.  If the allegations are true, they are simply reprehensible.  However, we’ll default to the position of our country’s forefathers and conclude that a man is innocent until proven guilty.  

Either way, we’re with you Senator Shelby, Alabama does deserve better.  Our hope is that when this seat is open again in 2020 that a conservative all Alabamians can be proud of will emerge.  The problem is, right now, there is so much more at stake than simply Roy Moore.

By every true measure, President Donald Trump has governed conservatively – just as the vast majority of the voters in our state expected he would. One of his first acts was to nominate Jeff Sessions to the position of Attorney General. He has fixed the job-killing and tyrannical regulatory mess at agencies like the Department of Energy, the EPA, the CFPB and the FCC.  He has nominated conservative judges who are committed to upholding the Constitution at every level of the federal judiciary. President Trump has shown the fortitude to implement foreign policy recognizing America’s values and protecting our interests as evidenced by the dismantling of ISIS.  Just last week he ordered our embassy in Israel moved to its rightful place in Jerusalem.  He has also pushed through what will be the most comprehensive tax reform package in years.  There is even more work to be done.

Those opposing Roy Moore have tried to float the idea that write-in votes are an acceptable choice. They are not. There are two choices tomorrow: Roy Moore or Doug Jones. There are only two men from whom you can choose to support President Trump’s agenda and represent our values in the United States Senate.  And be sure about this, conservatives who choose to sit this one out are, in fact, choosing a candidate.  A non-vote on Tuesday is a vote for Doug Jones.

Roy Moore will support President Trump’s agenda.  Moore will protect unborn children, help repeal Obamacare and guarantee that Trump’s conservative judicial nominees get confirmation. Jones will not. Moore will vote similarly to how Jeff Sessions voted. Jones will not.

This is why we are all being attacked. They resent our faith and our values. This is also why we urge you to vote for Roy Moore in tomorrow’s election.

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