Veterans Group Wants To Intervene In Mojave Cross Dispute

September 22, 2010 9:35 AM

(CBS)

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MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE, Calif. (AP) — Veterans groups are asking to intervene in the legal battle over a cross erected at a Mojave Desert federal park to honor war dead.

A nonprofit group filed a motion Tuesday in a federal court on behalf of the California department of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a VFW post in Barstow. The motion will be heard next month.

A decade-old legal battle continues over whether the cross in Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County is an unconstitutional religious symbol on public land. The latest dispute challenges a congressional move to make land under the cross private by trading it to the VFW.

The original wooden cross erected in 1934 was later replaced with one made of steel pipes. It was stolen earlier this year. A replacement mysteriously appeared but park officials removed it.

Veterans Group Wants To Intervene In Mojave Cross Dispute

vudu

As an atheist, I say just let them keep their damn cross. Of course it shouldn’t be there on public land, but there are really far larger issues of church and state seperation that should be addressed rather than wasting energy on this. Alhough it needs to be made clear that no additional crosses are to be erected.
Jay

As a Christian nation, I think the courts should allow it.
SANDRA GONZALEZ

As a God Fearing Christian I say LEAVE THE CROSS ALONE, how has it’s presence truly bothered anyone? I mean c’mon now – and the ACLU (American Criminals Lawyer Union) and it’s supporters should make themselves concerned with real CIVIL issues – NOT Attacking people with different views, beliefs and lifestyles!! And I am praying for ALL Atheists out there – Lord, forgive them for they know NOT what they do or believe! And EVERY knee shall Bow!

vudu

Haha ur funny. Pray for the atheist go ahead, ill certainly take no offense. Cross can stay. Its not hurting anything and my fellow veterans want it left up as a memorial to their fallen comrades.

Jac AS

The atheist live on the material world. The only God they have is material things….
matt’s mom

Let me get this straight.

One mosque @ ground zero = permit issued
One cross to honor war vets in the middle of the desert = order to take it down.

Gee, I wish I’d paid more attention to high school math. I can’t make this compute.

But maybe we have our answer in this philosophy: “I believe that when we discuss the subject of freedoms and liberty it has to be done on a comparative basis and to keep in mind that democracy at the end of the day means the rule of the majority, so the minority cannot rule.” (Iranian President Ahmadinejad, AP interview, New York
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/11/06/stolen-mojave-cross-war-memorial-found-in-bay-area/ Stolen Mojave Cross War Memorial Found In Bay Area « CBS Los Angeles

[...] The cross was purportedly stolen after a lawsuit filed in 2001 by the American Civil Liberties Union over the constitutionality of the monument, which argued that the monument is a violation of separation of church and state. [...]