Obama Justice Department’s Decision on War Memorial Cross May Surprise You

The battle over a war memorial cross that sits atop a California mountain has raged for years. In 2006, the federal government seized the property from the city of San Diego through an act of Congress in an effort to prevent the cross from being removed.

In December of 2013, a federal judge ruled that the cross be removed. This week, Barack Obama’s Justice Department disagreed.

The Mt. Soledad cross is safe. For now.

The DOJ says that the 29-foot war memorial cross, built to honor veterans of WWI, WWII and the Korean War, is not an unconstitutional promotion of Christianity and should remain on federal property:

The Obama administration said an appeals court ruling declaring the cross on Mount Soledad a violation of the constitutional separation of church and state undermined an act of Congress and conflicted with recent Supreme Court decisions. 

In a filing Monday to the nation’s highest court, it said an appeal should first be considered by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals because there is no imminent risk that the cross is removed.

Last month, the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association asked to skip the appeals court and go straight to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying it wanted to hasten resolution to a legal dispute that began in 1989.

The brief by Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr. said “additional time for reflection” may cause the 9th Circuit to reconsider its position. It says the Justice Department will appeal to the Supreme Court if it loses.

While there is no end to the battle over “separation of church and state,” one thing remains clear: many on the left continue to confuse the intent of the Founding Fathers and the Constitution. 

Freedom of religion is now interpreted on the left as freedom from religion. Kudos to Barack Obama’s Justice Department for understanding the difference.

The Mount Soledad Memorial Cross continues to stand. At least for now.

Αναγνώστης Stanley
Πηγή : ijreview.com