Humanist group sues to remove cross-shaped WWI memorial in Maryland

[Dos Equis]

Paranoid anti-religious extremists crying again.   "Steven Lowe, a plaintiff from Washington, said was "shocked" when he first saw the cross and is "upset" whenever he passes it, according to the complaint obtained by the newspaper."  Waaah! 

Humanist group sues to remove cross-shaped WWI memorial in Maryland
Published March 04, 2014FoxNews.com

The American Humanist Association is suing to take down the 40-foot-tall Bladensburg Cross World War I memorial in Prince George's County. (MYFOXDC.COM)

A humanist advocacy group has filed a federal lawsuit to remove a cross-shaped World War I memorial in Prince George's County, alleging the display violates the First Amendment.

The American Humanist Association says it does not object to the fact that the Bladensburg Cross memorializes soldiers, but rather the placement of the Christian symbol on property owned by a government agency, The Daily Record reported.

"We are certainly recommending coming up with a monument inclusive of all religious groups," said Monica Miller, a lawyer with the association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center.

In 2012, the group sent a letter to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission demanding that the cross be removed from the war memorial. The group said it would have no objection if the cross was on private land, MyFoxDC.com reported.

John Moss, the town's administrator, said the Bladensburg Cross is not endorsing any faith.

"The cross memorializes our veterans," he told The Daily Record. "It was never meant to be a religious icon."

The 40-foot-tall concrete memorial was erected in 1925 by the American Legion to commemorate the 49 men of Prince George's County who died during World War I.

The monument was initially owned by the state but was deeded in 1960 to the commission, which administers regional parks in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The monument was restored and rededicated in 1965, according to The Daily Record.

According to the report, the lawsuit names as plaintiffs two local American Humanist Association members and a third individual -- each of whom had "unwelcome contact" with the monument.

Steven Lowe, a plaintiff from Washington, said was "shocked" when he first saw the cross and is "upset" whenever he passes it, according to the complaint obtained by the newspaper.

"He believes that the Bladensburg Cross associates a Christian religious symbol with the state and gives the impression that the state supports and approves of Christianity, as opposed to other religions, and that the state may even prefer Christians and Christianity over other religions," the complaint reads.

Moss, the town administrator, told The Daily Record this is the first time a lawsuit has been filed to remove the Bladensburg Cross. He said the memorial has "historic and patriotic" value.

"There are community members that would be disturbed if the cross were removed," he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/04/humanist-group-sues-to-remove-cross-shaped-wwi-memorial-in-maryland/?intcmp=latestnews

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

Surprised that it didn't happen sooner. 

[Dos Equis]

Took some crybaby 89 years to claim they are emotionally wounded by looking at this WWI memorial. 

[Irongrip400]

Took some crybaby 89 years to claim they are emotionally wounded by looking at this WWI memorial. 

Yes, because it has only been in recent years that the fucking troglodytes of this society started springing up.  It is only natural, and is where we are heading, much like France and the rest of the secular nations with their socialism and general apathy.  Fuck them all, I hope this guy who says it "makes him ill" dies.

[OzmO]

Pretty stupid waste of time and money.

[headhuntersix]

This guys' face upsets me every time I see it...he should go> his words, thoughts and deeds piss me off...he should leave. Where does this shit end....

[RRKore]

This guys' face upsets me every time I see it...he should go> his words, thoughts and deeds piss me off...he should leave. Where does this shit end....

Who? (I didn't see a pic of anyone at the link in the OP.)

[headhuntersix]

In general......the guy bothers me...what makes his feelings anymore important then mine. He's a douchbag and should be beaten with a bat until his head falls off. At some point he needs to be made to understand his continued  existence and the safety of his family are and were predicated on the sacrifices made by the people that cross represents. They are far more important then he is. Their sacrifices burnt into the pages of history carry far more weight then some asshole who is momentarily offended as he drives by.  Shocked and upset....I bet the kids charged with running through German machinegun fire were shocked and upset as well. I bet the kids who puked up their lungs on mustard gas were also very upset. They matter more then this guy and deserve that memorial. Fuck him.....

[Necrosis]

Paranoid anti-religious extremists crying again.   "Steven Lowe, a plaintiff from Washington, said was "shocked" when he first saw the cross and is "upset" whenever he passes it, according to the complaint obtained by the newspaper."  Waaah! 

Humanist group sues to remove cross-shaped WWI memorial in Maryland
Published March 04, 2014FoxNews.com

The American Humanist Association is suing to take down the 40-foot-tall Bladensburg Cross World War I memorial in Prince George's County. (MYFOXDC.COM)

A humanist advocacy group has filed a federal lawsuit to remove a cross-shaped World War I memorial in Prince George's County, alleging the display violates the First Amendment.

The American Humanist Association says it does not object to the fact that the Bladensburg Cross memorializes soldiers, but rather the placement of the Christian symbol on property owned by a government agency, The Daily Record reported.

"We are certainly recommending coming up with a monument inclusive of all religious groups," said Monica Miller, a lawyer with the association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center.

In 2012, the group sent a letter to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission demanding that the cross be removed from the war memorial. The group said it would have no objection if the cross was on private land, MyFoxDC.com reported.

John Moss, the town's administrator, said the Bladensburg Cross is not endorsing any faith.

"The cross memorializes our veterans," he told The Daily Record. "It was never meant to be a religious icon."

The 40-foot-tall concrete memorial was erected in 1925 by the American Legion to commemorate the 49 men of Prince George's County who died during World War I.

The monument was initially owned by the state but was deeded in 1960 to the commission, which administers regional parks in Montgomery and Prince George's counties. The monument was restored and rededicated in 1965, according to The Daily Record.

According to the report, the lawsuit names as plaintiffs two local American Humanist Association members and a third individual -- each of whom had "unwelcome contact" with the monument.

Steven Lowe, a plaintiff from Washington, said was "shocked" when he first saw the cross and is "upset" whenever he passes it, according to the complaint obtained by the newspaper.

"He believes that the Bladensburg Cross associates a Christian religious symbol with the state and gives the impression that the state supports and approves of Christianity, as opposed to other religions, and that the state may even prefer Christians and Christianity over other religions," the complaint reads.

Moss, the town administrator, told The Daily Record this is the first time a lawsuit has been filed to remove the Bladensburg Cross. He said the memorial has "historic and patriotic" value.

"There are community members that would be disturbed if the cross were removed," he said.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/04/humanist-group-sues-to-remove-cross-shaped-wwi-memorial-in-maryland/?intcmp=latestnews

You are a walking contradiction. Would you not be outraged if say it was the star of David? it's a public place, why would they use a religious symbol specific to a specific religion of thousands to honor people who were probably of non-christian belief?

It's arrogant and insensitive. Perhaps a muslim american died in the war? it's stupid and petty and uneccesary. A more neutral symbol could be used no? you are either unaware or completely secure in your bigotry.

Why can they simply choose a neutral symbol?

[Necrosis]

Hey those on the right, is this not a breach of your constitution? seperation of church and state? yet a mod on the fucking political board does the mocking?

Can't have our guns, but fuck you accept christianity.

You guys are the typical moron hypocrites, using self serving bible verses and waving the constitution like you care about it.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Here is an analogy, to help you understand your hypocrisy.

Say you are for freedom of speech, yet you censor speech that you don;t like, it's like you insulting a muslim citing freedom of speech then when he returns the favor you are bizzaro ron paul

[blacken700]

I don't think a cross always has to be a symbal of god especially at death,look at all the graves that have a cross I don't think they are all for Christianity, some are just a marker

[Dos Equis]

You are a walking contradiction. Would you not be outraged if say it was the star of David? it's a public place, why would they use a religious symbol specific to a specific religion of thousands to honor people who were probably of non-christian belief?

It's arrogant and insensitive. Perhaps a muslim american died in the war? it's stupid and petty and uneccesary. A more neutral symbol could be used no? you are either unaware or completely secure in your bigotry.

Why can they simply choose a neutral symbol?

No, I would not be outraged if someone erected a Star of David symbol as part of a WWI memorial 89 years ago. 

Why do they need a neutral symbol?  Minority rights need to be protected, but the majority doesn't have to be silenced either.  If the majority of the community wants a memorial to honor those who scarified their lives for their country, I really don't care if a handful of people are offended.  There is nothing offensive about that memorial. 

[blacken700]

I can't find nowhere that this is a symbol of  Christianity

 this is from the internets  

Known also as “Peace Cross.” The Snyder-Farmer Post of the American Legion of Hyattsville erected the forty foot cross of cement and marble to recall the forty-nine men of Prince George’s County who died in World War I. The cross was dedicated on July 13, 1925, by the American Legion. A bronze tablet at the base of the monument contains the unforgettable words of Woodrow Wilson: “The right is more precious than the peace; we shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts; to such a task we dedicate ourselves.”  At the base of the monument are the words, “Valor, Endurance, Courage, Devotion.”  At its heart, the cross bears a great gold star.

[headhuntersix]

Blacken wins the ....not a leftist douchbag award.

This was a war memorial...we used to be a country that honored its dead and didn't worry about hurt feelings. This didn't bother anybody for 89 years.

[Irongrip400]

I can't believe there is someone in this thread defending this guys law suit. Seriously. I'm agnostic/atheist and have no issue with it. It's a marker for the fifty or so dudes from that town that died in one of the largest conflicts in the history of the world. Who cares?

[RRKore]

Tricky issue. 

Easiest thing would be to have the city just sell the tiniest possible portion of land on which the monument sits to a private owner. 

I'm sure rich dudes would line up to be the one to save the monument.

[OzmO]

Tricky issue. 

Easiest thing would be to have the city just sell the tiniest possible portion of land on which the monument sits to a private owner. 

I'm sure rich dudes would line up to be the one to save the monument.

Why should they have to do anything?

[RRKore]

Why should they have to do anything?

Well, I'm not saying the SHOULD have to do anything.

I'm saying what they could do.  And one reason would be to avoid a lawsuit.

[Necrosis]

No, I would not be outraged if someone erected a Star of David symbol as part of a WWI memorial 89 years ago. 

Why do they need a neutral symbol?  Minority rights need to be protected, but the majority doesn't have to be silenced either.  If the majority of the community wants a memorial to honor those who scarified their lives for their country, I really don't care if a handful of people are offended.  There is nothing offensive about that memorial. 

Ok then you are one of the odd ones. It doesn't offend me in the slightest either, I wouldn't waste a single fucking breath talking about this.

Well let's go through this, you are for the use of publicly funded property being used for religious propaganda? even if say some of those who died wouldn't want a cross to represent them? are you out to lunch?

It's PUBLIC property, that's why you need a neutral symbol, fuck are you really that ignorant? it's PUBLIC PROPERTY. no one group gets to use it as they please. Do you not agree with this or are you fine when it suits your views?

Let me guess you think the US was founded on christianity, hitler was an atheist and darwin caused the holocaust right?

[dario73]

HEHEHEHEHE!!

That idiot is "upset" by a cross.

A lot more things going on in this country that should "upset" him a lot more.

That cross is in memory of the dead. The dead don't care.

Why do we allow chumps like that dictate to an entire community what they should and shouldn't do?

[Necrosis]

I don't think a cross always has to be a symbal of god especially at death,look at all the graves that have a cross I don't think they are all for Christianity, some are just a marker

Sure I buy it, but those are graves of people, not public property.You can have what you like.

[Dos Equis]

Ok then you are one of the odd ones. It doesn't offend me in the slightest either, I wouldn't waste a single fucking breath talking about this.

Well let's go through this, you are for the use of publicly funded property being used for religious propaganda? even if say some of those who died wouldn't want a cross to represent them? are you out to lunch?

It's PUBLIC property, that's why you need a neutral symbol, fuck are you really that ignorant? it's PUBLIC PROPERTY. no one group gets to use it as they please. Do you not agree with this or are you fine when it suits your views?

Let me guess you think the US was founded on christianity, hitler was an atheist and darwin caused the holocaust right?

I don't know what you mean by "religious propaganda." 

Who cares if it's "PUBLIC property"?  We have religious symbols all over "PUBLIC property."  Have you ever been to DC? 

Let me guess, you've never actually read the U.S. Constitution, never been to the U.S., and don't know anything about the First Amendment, right? 

[headhuntersix]

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or ...

Establishing a State religion - church of England.
Impeding the free exercise of religion - taking down that cross because some asshole is offended sounds like that to me. 

Supreme court ruling -  " it is declared 'that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government for its officers to interfere [only] when [religious] principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order.' Yeah not here......worry about Canada doc.

[Dos Equis]

The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or ...

Establishing a State religion - church of England.
Impeding the free exercise of religion - taking down that cross because some asshole is offended sounds like that to me. 

Supreme court ruling -  " it is declared 'that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government for its officers to interfere [only] when [religious] principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order.' Yeah not here......worry about Canada doc.

 

[headhuntersix]

I apologize from using wiki but it got to the heart of the matter....