Or, maybe it was just a random act of vandalism.
To most, it was a disrespectful slap at millions of Veterans it stood in honor of.
Of course, I am referring to the Mojave Cross which stood in the desert for decades braving the elements out of harm’s way - until persons unknown under the cover of night - desecrated the War memorial and made off with the coveted cross.
The Memorial became the subject of controversy and legal wrangling in the courts when activists filed a suit for a court order to remove the religious symbol on Constitutional grounds.
The briefs hinged on the issue of separation of Church and State.
The controversial litigation - which I avidly followed for the past couple of years in the local and national media (being a Christian and all) - raised the ire of the multitudes far-and-wide this way ‘n that.
The U.S. Supreme Court finally rendered a ruling recently that - ultimately - was a squeaker.
By a 5-4 vote, the Justices reversed the lower court ruling in California, that ordered the U.S. Park service remove the cross.
On behalf of the court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy underscored that the 1st Amendment calls for a middle ground policy accommodation toward religious displays on public ground (and not a total ban on a symbol of faith).
In a nutshell, the court found that the 1st Amendment does not require the eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm.
End of story?
Liberty Institute, an organization representing the Veterans, has offered a $25,000 dollar reward for information leading to an arrest or conviction of the culprit(s).
The group has vowed to build a bigger and better Memorial Cross at the site.
“We’ll show them,” vowed caretaker Henry Sandoz.
God willing!
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