New cross erected, then removed by park officials
New cross erected, then removed by park officials – A month ago, a cross in the Mojave National Preserve made national headlines when the Supreme Court ruled that it can be displayed because “the constitution does not oblige government to avoid any public acknowledgment of a religion’s role in society.” That, and the government has decided to transfer the land where the cross is displayed (Sunrise Rock) into private hands.
Shortly after that on May 8 or 9, and much to the dismay of the nation, the cross was stolen by some greedy fools looking to bag an icon. Then, on May 20 someone replaced it in the early morning, and park officials removed it, in concordance with a Supreme Court injunction that it not be displayed until the federal land has been transferred.
Is it really necessary, since the land is supposedly being transferred to private owners, to remove the new cross? I also wonder if this begins a trend of people placing a cross, and then someone removing it.
The cross was originally erected in the 1930s as a war memorial for the soldiers and sailors of World War 1. It has been vandalized a few times in the past, even stolen.
I can understand the feds removing it until the land transfer is complete. That seems fair enough especially since they are going to donate the land so it may be utilized for its original intention to honor those who gave their lives. It’s unfortunate that people on both sides of the fence try to make it a religious issue. It is a memorial that’s all.