Some see it as the universal symbol of sacrifice in World War I, others see it as the undisputed sign of Christianity, but it will be up to the Supreme Court to make a final determination as to whether a 7-foot cross remains standing in a California desert to memorialize war veterans.
The cross was first erected in 1934 in what is now the federally protected Mojave Desert Preserve by a group of veterans whose doctors advised them that the desert heat would help them recover from shell shock.
Veterans today say this war memorial and others like it across the country that use religious symbols are under attack by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
“They are not the enemy; they are just dead wrong,” says Joe Davis, spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
Well now…..let’s see; is the ACLU now going to say that the hundreds of thousands of crosses and Stars of David in our National Cemeteries are offensive to Muslim veterans, and should be pulled up and replaced with plain stones? Let ’em try, and see where that gets ’em!
Perhaps this is a good place to ask a question I’ve been wondering about for some time: does anybody know why the Prayer Book Cross in Golden Gate Park (San Francisco) has not come under similar attack? Is it just because it marks a historical event (Drake’s 1579 prayer book service?)
I assume Golden Gate Park is all public land.
http://www.lightight.com/GGP/mem_images/Mem3P02.html
I can be pretty supportive of the separatist agenda, but this is a bridge too far. To get some perspective on this cross, go to this blog post and follow the link near the bottom to see the movie.
http://tinyurl.com/q6szrb
This is no a situation where first graders are being compelled to genuflect before a cross.
[i]de minimis non curat lex[/i]
#2, Sidney – excellent question – I would love to know the answer.
Isn’t there plenty of choice for Grave Markers? I wonder if the ACLU has a marker design that they wouldn’t b#t#h about?? Nuff Said!!