Posted on 08/14/2006 4:45:21 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
U.S. govt gets giant cross in San Diego
By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago
A giant cross in San Diego that's been contested for 17 years by an atheist became the property of the federal government Monday with President Bush's signature.
Supporters hope the legislation transferring the 29-foot cross and war memorial it's a part of to the federal government will protect it for good. A series of court decisions have deemed the cross unconstitutional because it stands on public property.
"Just because something may have a religious connotation doesn't mean you destroy it and tear it down," said Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., after an Oval Office signing ceremony attended by other cross supporters and Republican House members from San Diego who sponsored the bill.
"It's a great victory for our veterans," said House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif.
But the legal fight that began in 1989 when atheist Philip Paulson sued San Diego over the cross is not played out yet.
Paulson's attorney, Jim McElroy, said he filed papers in federal court in San Diego last week to void the transfer and declare it unconstitutional.
"I don't think anybody really thinks the cross is going to remain on Mt. Soledad. It's been 17 years of litigation, and every court, every judge who's ever looked at it has ruled it's unconstitutional," McElroy said.
The bill signing "smacks of election-year politics," he said.
Paulson, a Vietnam War veteran, contends that the cross, dedicated in 1954 in honor of Korean War veterans, excludes veterans who are not Christian.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Good work.
Dear ACLU: Stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
What twists my shorts is why it even has to be moved. Don't the locals appreciate our military? Americans die protecting our country... (ending rant before I go ballistic).
The ACLU needs to be brought up on RICO charges, if not treason.
The locals definitely wanted it to stay, but the atheists use the courts to do their evil work.
YAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!!!
Just another reason to appreciate President Bush. He may not be articulate, and his smirk is a little hard to take(my deceased younger brother had the same unfortunate habit), but I love that guy, just as I loved my brother.
Paulson's attorney, Jim McElroy, said he filed papers in federal court in San Diego last week to void the transfer and declare it unconstitutional.
I think it is unconstitutional that ONE individual can find ONE tyrannical judge to agree with him and negate the rule of the elected leaders of the country, the other 299+ million citizens and 52 years of precedent.
PING!!
And no cross excludes us Christians.
The government must act to protect me by putting Paulson where he can't harm me.
I dont think the government has brought charges of Treason since the Rosenbergs were executed.
But I agree they need to start using it again.
No, "mine" was on the L.A. county seal. Same crappy state, though... yuk yuk... which, fortunately, is no longer mine either.
;^)
I doubt it.
Hope all is well in TX :) Miss your AnnaZ videos.
The locals were behind keeping the Cross 100%. We voted as such, to keep the Cross. One guy has been fighting this cross for 15 years and has the ACLU behind him. He even got a judge to ignore the will of the people down here.
It's stuff like this that makes me feel a bit more understanding towards terrorists. If a similar situation were to arise in Iraq the attorney who keeps taking this to court would just disappear. If another lawyer took up the case, he's go bye-bye too. Eventually no lawyer would go near the case.
But we're too civilized for that sort of thing so we'll just keep going back to court to defend a losing cause.
Where's Lee Harvey Oswald now that we REALLY need him?
Looks like the ACLU was quite happy to leave the goat on the LA seal for the Mullah's use.
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