Congressmen Bilbray (R-Solana Beach), Issa (R-Vista), and Hunter (R-Alpine) have introduced a bill in Congress to save the Mt. Soledad cross after the 9th District Court of Appeals ruled it unconstitutional.
An LA Times article on January 12th, 2011, detailed the following:
Three Republican members of Congress from San Diego County have introduced a bill aimed at blocking the removal of the cross atop public land on Mt. Soledad in San Diego.
The bill submitted by Reps. Duncan D. Hunter of Alpine, Darrell Issa of Vista and Brian Bilbray of Solana Beach comes in reaction to a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last week that the 43-foot-tall cross violated the constitutional separation of church and state by seeming to endorse a particular religion.
The bill would allow religious symbols that are part of military monuments.
The cross was built in the 1950s as a war memorial. In more recent years some 2,700 black granite plaques engraved with names and photos of war veterans have been installed on walls at the base of the cross.
Bilbray and Hunter have also urged U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric Holder and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to continue the legal fight to keep the cross from being removed. The land beneath the cross has been under the control of the federal government since 2006.
The appellate decision puts the two-decade-old legal fight back in a federal trial court, where additional litigation is expected. A number of litigants, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, have sued to have the cross removed.
Duncan D. Hunter introduced the War Memorial Protection Act to Congress on January 13th, the Poway Patch writes.
“The latest ruling on the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial is a disservice to anyone who has ever served in America’s armed forces, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Hunter in a release. “Mount Soledad is a symbol of military service and tradition. Ensuring it remains intact is not only important to the San Diego community, but the millions of other Americans who have served in America’s armed forces and defended freedom in the face of immense danger and personal risk.”
Hunter, a veteran himself, added that the War Memorial Protection Act is “just as much about Mount Soledad as it is every other war memorial across the country” including Fort Rosecrans to Arlington National Cemetery.
“America honors its war dead and military heroes for their willingness to step forward and protect others. In cases where religious elements are present, the fact that these monuments stand as symbols of military service and sacrifice does not change,” he added in his statement.
Enough of desecrating Judeo-Christian principles already. The ACLU must quit their bullying antics. If it continues harassing American ideals, we will do all in our power to suppress its influence.
