NEW YORK (CNN) - This week is off to an interesting and promising beginning.... In Arizona, some folks want to establish a militia to protect the border with Mexico.... In Alabama, a federal judge has ruled that the Alabama Chief Justice has to move a statue of the Ten Commandments out of the rotunda of the State Judicial building....

The Ten Commandments statue in Alabama was placed in the rotunda by the Alabama Chief Justice... the part I really like is that he had workmen move the statue into place in the dark of night, and didn't tell his fellow justices what he was doing... nor the governor... nor anyone else. The don't ask... don't tell approach to sneaking religious symbols into taxpayer-funded buildings might have worked better if the Commandments statue were somewhat smaller... the statue weights almost three tons.

I can't wait to see how the separation of church and state issues get resolved... there is that little matter of the Judeo-Christian religion upon which our law is based, not to mention the occasional swearing in of witnesses. It's likely to get complicated..

Now, any country that can take seriously the idea that we set up a militia to guard our borders isn't doing too badly.... I look at the idea of a militia border patrol as being a close parallel to school vouchers.... We seem to be developing the national attitude that if the people you pay to do something don't do it well enough, don't fix it... just look for alternatives. A militia is certainly one alternative, but much like school vouchers, I'd much prefer the people we pay to do a job either do the job... or be replaced by people who will. But I know that gets complicated, too.