We read:
"Planted atop a remote hill in the middle of California's Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base rests two 13-foot crosses. Originally erected back in 2003 by seven Marines grieving over lives lost in the war on terror, this site originally established for reflection has now become grounds for controversy.
“It's not a religious spot at all, it's a place for the Marines to grieve and to grow to let go of their burdens of what they had in their soul, so they can go back down that hill and back into battle and put their own lives on the line,” says Marine widow Karen Mendoza.
Her husband Ray was one of those original seven who climbed the hill that day, three of whom have since been killed in action, including Ray. “It's a symbol of sacrifice regardless of what you think, pray, like or don't like,” says Karen.
Marano tells me no one would complain if, for example, someone decided to put up a Buddhist shrine, “No one would complain at all, and I bet if we poked around, we’d probably find something like that here…I mean you can see a very side variety of items have been used, everything from a bottle of Jack Daniels to a Purple Heart and everything in between. I think most Americans are very fair-minded and see this memorial, frankly, for what it is,” says the Colonel as he overlooks the site.
He continues: “These two memorials have been sitting out here largely unknown outside of a very small group of Marines and family here at Camp Pendleton. The view that you can even see them from is very restricted, certainly you can’t see it from the public freeway or any of the highly trafficked public roads and even aboard Camp Pendleton it’s a very narrow viewing angle that you have of these crosses and this site.”
But the area has become controversial and more known after a newspaper report last fall detailed the location and posted a picture. In response, several groups filed complaints with Marines arguing the site violated the Constitutional mandate of separation of church and state, including the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers or MAAF. They want the crosses moved to a church on private land and flags or some other symbol used instead to mark the site.
The commandant of the Marines is expected to rule on the cross controversy any day.
Source
14 comments:
1:09 AM sounds suspiciously like a neo-nazi (which many Americans died to defeat) - and of course we all know "Bird of Paradise" and his amusing spelling.
Well, I meant the original Nazis, of course.
It's sad that some who take no comfort in religion try so hard to prevent others from doing so.
In a society that prides itself on being inclusive it appears the one group that can be safely excluded are the religious.
Perhaps those who fight so hard against symbols of religion do so because those symbols give rise to feelings of guilt over their rejection of religion.
So religion is just for "comfort" like a child's security blanket-? And again (2:47) tries to reverse the "guilt-complex", though the Catholic Church is so famous for imposing just that on its members.
What the judgement should read:
This is a site created not by the government but by the people for the purpose of providing comfort to those who risk their lives for our country and for those who's loved ones lost their lives for our country. If their comfort requires a cross to be a part of that site then crosses are appropriate and reasonable.
The amendment being used to try to remove those crosses has a part to it that clearly states the government is not to prohibit the free exercise of religion and it high time the courts started recognizing that fact.
There is nothing in the constitution about the separation of CHURCH & STATE it simply prophibits the established relegion
And of course, that ruling will fully comply with the "laws" of political correctness.
I have a better idea. Why not take a lesson from history and burn all atheists at the stake? Not only would we rid our society of this vermin, but just think of the jobs it will create.
@3:04 - Does it really matter what a person gets from their religion? How is this site hurting atheists? is it forcing them to believe in something they do not? What exactly is it about religion and people that believe in it that angers you people so badly? Is it just that they don't believe what you believe so they must be stupid and any symbol of that belief must go so others aren't being duped into being so stupid? Is that what makes you so angry? It just amazes me the way the left always accuse religion of trying to "force" their ideals onto others by way of decency laws or anti abortion yet they are more than happy to force their ideals (or lack thereof) on the rest of us.
Wow 4:30 AM - what a lot of questions - that have been answered so often before!
@Anon 2:22, No neo-Nazism intended at all. Far from it. Just simple truth for your simple mind.
This is great: Liberalism in action.
London University to make alcohol free zones due to muslims on campus.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17701963
If the Brits had any brains, which they don't, they would be making muslim-free zones, but it's way too late for that. They already control that country.
333 The Brit-Bashing on this site is getting tiresome and boring. You don't generalize in the same way about the US. If somebody said - "if the Yanks had any brains which they don't ..." I'm sure you'd say that was crassly xenophobic, as indeed it would be, just the same as saying what you did! So look in your own national "mirror" first!
Radical atheists are keen to find SOMETHING, no matter how specious, to get offended over- I know, I used to be one of them (radical, that is, I'm still an atheist), until I grew up.
It takes a lot of useless effort to work yourself into a self-righteous froth over something that does them no harm, it's a dirty job, but I suppose they feel that SOMEONE has to do it!!
Post a Comment