Posted on 08/18/2010 12:05:00 PM PDT by roses of sharon
The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that 14 crosses placed along Utah highways to honor fallen Utah Highway Patrol troopers violate the U.S. Constitution.
We hold that these memorials have the impermissible effect of conveying to the reasonable observer the message that the State prefers or otherwise endorses a certain religion, the Denver-based court said.
The decision is a victory for American Atheists Inc., a Texas group that sued to have the crosses removed from state property. It overturns a lower court ruling that said the crosses did not violate the federal or Utah constitutions.
American Atheists Inc., a Texas-based group that first filed suit on the matter in 2005. The atheist organization argued that the 12-foot-high crosses, along state highways, are religious symbols that should be removed because their being on public land is a violation of the First Amendment, which prohibits government establishment of religion.
(Excerpt) Read more at sltrib.com ...
The courts are wrong and need to stay away from this.
So, what does this portend for those wanting to erect small crosses in tribute to loved ones who died in automobile crashes?
I’ll second that.
They’d have no problem with the Crescent...liberals preach separation of [Christian] church and state only.
I bet those are out, too.
Damn these communists.
Getting close to the time of a grand divorce,
followed by complete disregard for “rulings” like this one.
Are they also in favor of a mosque at ground zero?
What be a theocracy and be like Saudi Arabia but for Jews and Christians?
I am very sick of these Commie maggots and throatcutters using our own laws against us.
I say deport them all.
It would seem to me that the family of the deceased, should be able to decide this matter.
Do we tear down Arlington National now?
Forget “The free exercise there of”.
Forget “Shall not be infringed”.
NO, WE WON’T FORGET!
WE’ll REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!
Yeah but erecting a victory mosque at ground zero is perfectly OK.
That’s next.
That was my first thought. And every other military cemetary.
The West Virginia Department of Highways had the state government pass a law that forbids the placing of small crosses along the roadside, marking the loss of a loved one. This has been the custom here in the hills for a hundred years. We just ignore the law. We put them up after dark. They take them down, we just put a new one in it’s place.
Arlington will be declared unconstitutional once the libs pack the SCOTUS.
But the 9/11 mosque is constitutionally protected “freedom of religion”. Uh huh. We are fast approaching the point, if not already there, where the only reasonable reset button for this country will be the hangman’s noose.
I am sick of memorials to death at the sites of the deaths. People should be remembered by their whole long lives, and not the accidental instant of death.
I am for markers to mark major accidents and fatalities as warnings, but only as long as the unsafe condition of the roadway is unchanged.
The court, however, gives an outlaw ruling. This is not some proper judicial outcome that follows the original meaning of the first amendment protection of religion.
There are thousands of miles of privately held property bordering of Utah state roads. Find property owners to take possession of and display the crosses in places visible from the highways.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.