Sep 2nd, 2009
At a crossroads
The Mojave Memorial Cross has stood proudly as a tribute to fallen soldiers since 1934, when WWI veterans erected the cross to honor their fallen brothers. At the moment, however, the cross is boarded up (at left) courtesy of the ACLU, which wants to tear it down due to it being religious iconography on public lands.
The cross sits in the 1.6 million acre Mojave National Preserve and has been the subject of numerous court challenges since a National Park Services employee and the ACLU filed a 2001 lawsuit, claiming that the monument violates the Establishment Clause.
Both the District Court and the 9th Circuit of Appeals court have determined the cross to be unconstitutional. The cross has staunch supporters, though – the nonprofit Liberty Legal Institute has taken up the cause, and the matter has been escalated to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is due to hear the case come fall. Liberty Legal also set up a website for its supporters; Don’tTearMeDown.com has up-to-date information, background history, petitions and – of course – an online shop.
Liberty Legal was kind enough to send us some photos of some soldier supporters in Iraq, before and after their shop was set up. See if you can spot the difference…
Before
After
These army men return from the front lines soon, and – armed with 6 other soldiers and an armful of T-shirts, stickers and buttons – they plan to make their way across the United States to the memorial to raise awareness and support for the cause. They will be accompanied by American Legion and Freedom Riders, and when they arrive at the memorial they plan to hang a wreath on it (perhaps everyone can agree that this is less of an eyesore than a plywood box) and read the name of their fallen comrades.
The underlying concern behind the fight for the Mojave Memorial Cross to remain standing isn’t just for this particular monument, but rather for all military monuments containing religious iconography. Arlington National Cemetery has more crosses than any other, begging the question as to how it, too, might be affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling.
I’m going on vacation as of… now! But don’t worry: Diamond D will take care of your blog fix. Talk to you soon.
Our Founding Fathers never meant to disallow the recognition of God nor the practice of religion; only that it not be a part of our government decision-making. It’s amazing how difficult some people make things when the understanding of simple language is so easy.
I’m just about tired of all this crap! When are we going to stand against these Godless bastards who want to destroy America. The time has come to put up or shut! Act now before we live in a communist/marxist Amerika! Or as they plan to call it, the North American Union!
I wuld like to see about 1000 small crosses about 2 feet high with names of the fallen to be planted on the Road to the man cross. and see how many crosses they will cover up. ALR Post #81 Lake Havasu City Az.
It’s time to stop this madness. It’s time to remove “American” form the title of The “American” Civil Liberties Union. The ACLU. There is nothing “American” in what they do or what they stand for.
Let’s all face the facts. The name should be the “Socialist Civil Liberties Union.” The “SCLU.” That is what they are, what they stand for, and what they do.
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you agree.
Doc
ACLU, it’s the American Communist Lawyer’s Association. Think about it, when was the last time you actually agreed with anything they’ve been a part of?
[...] battle over the Mojave Memorial Cross saw the inside of the Supreme Court this week, as the Justices began to ponder the [...]