San Diego Cross Becomes Legal Test Case

AP ^ | 7/24/6 | ALLISON HOFFMAN

[SmithL]

SAN DIEGO -- Ronald Reagan had just left office, the Christian Coalition was new, "values" had yet to become a buzzword of American politics and six of the current U.S. Supreme Court justices had other jobs when an atheist sued the city of San Diego for permitting a giant cross in a public park.

Seventeen years later, the 29-foot concrete monument still crowns a hill over the Pacific, defended by the city's voters and members of Congress.

Now the Supreme Court has stepped in, and the case of the Mount Soledad cross could help determine under what circumstances religious symbols are permissible in public places.

The cross, dedicated in 1954 in honor of Korean War veterans, was erected by the Mount Soledad Memorial Foundation, a private, nonprofit group that also maintains the monument.

State and federal judges have ordered the cross removed, saying it represents an unconstitutional endorsement of one religion. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court blocked an order that the city take it down by Aug. 1, giving state and federal courts time to hear appeals this fall.

The high court has inched toward allowing religious symbols in public places if they have historical value or nonreligious meaning. A pair of 5-4 rulings on separate cases involving the Ten Commandments in 2005 established hazy guidelines on what is permissible: A display inside a Kentucky courthouse was deemed unconstitutional, while a 6-foot granite monument outside the Texas Capitol was fine.

"It's pretty clear you can't display a Latin cross 365 days a year on top of city hall," said Douglas Laycock, a church-state expert at the University of Texas law school. "But this cross isn't at city hall, and it's been there for a long time."

Supporters of the Soledad cross call it the centerpiece of a war memorial...

[Paloma_55]

I think the ACLU should work on removing those Buddhist Temples in Afghanistan too..oh wait, the Taliban already did that.

So, one destroyes religious symbols in the name of their own religion, the other in the name of atheism.

[edcoil]

I wish they would rule the gov't owns too much land unConstitutionally and must sell it off making the memorial a private operation.

[cabojoe]

http://www.freerepublic.com/help.htm

[Cobra64]

The cross, dedicated in 1954 in honor of Korean War veterans, was erected by the Mount Soledad Memorial Foundation, a private, nonprofit group that also maintains the monument.

Again liberals spit on America and those who died for this country. They make me sick.

[upchuck]

First, go to the FR homepage here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/browse?ao=1

Then look in the upper right hand corner of the page. Assuming you're logged in, you'll see the word Post. Click on that and have a good time.

[SmithL]

Welcome to FR.

As a word of caution, creating a vanity as your first post is considered poor form, and is no way to endear yourself to other FReepers.

[kingu]

must sell it off making the memorial a private operation.

Sales of the land to private citizens and organizations have consistently been blocked as trying to sidestep the issue.

[little jeremiah]

IIRC, a private group tried to buy the land the memorial is on, and the ACLU fiends didn't go for it. IOW, the ACLU said they would still take it to court because the cross is so visible, it was a ploy, etc etc etc.

****ing ******es.

[little jeremiah]

Article about the non-existant separation of San Diego and a war memoral cross.

[muawiyah]

Best bet here is to be prepared to defend the cross by force of arms in the hands of the peoples militia.

These judges aren't going to back down. They are challenging our legislators and Congress-critters to impeach and remove them in a daring reach to take supreme power in our nation.

We need to prepare to do what the government is incapable of doing.

[StonyBurk]

Too bad our American Law Schgools have abandonded Joseph Story--How Sad that they have been usurped by the enemy of
my COuntry and our way of Life. If there is ANTHING about
the ACLU and the Soviet Communist dreams they espouse that
can be reconciled to the Founders vision for America --
I CANNOT see it.There is Nothing in the Establishment Clause
that prohibits a static display such as th eMount Soledad Cross/War Memorial.THese jerkoffs ought agree with the
Sixth Circuit Court(dec.2005 ) On the Mercer County displays.And the so called "separation of church and state." th esixth circuit I can reconcile to our Constitution--what these blockheads want I cannot concieve as American.