A cross that has been in place for nearly a century will continue to stand, much to the chagrin of some residents of Prince George’s County in Maryland.
The Bladensburg Cross was placed as a tribute to 49 local World War I heroes and it will remain standing, per a 7-2 decision by the Supreme Court
The Bladensburg Peace Cross
The Bladensburg Peace Cross was installed at Annapolis Rd. & Baltimore Ave. beginning in 1919.
The architect of the cross was John J. Early and the project was completed in 1925.
Standing at 40-feet tall, it has become an iconic symbol in the area as well as one of the more unique local tributes to the heroes of the area that lost their lives in WWI.
On the cross, along with names of the fallen, is a quote from Woodrow Wilson:
“The right is more precious than peace.
“We shall fight for the things we have always carried nearest our hearts.
“To such a task we dedicate our lives.”
The design of the structure, which is at the heat of this debate, was meant to emulate the shape of the crosses used to mark the gravesites of our fallen across Europe.
Supreme Court Case
Today being what is, some residents of the town where the cross resides, Prince George, believed their tax dollars should no longer be used to maintain the symbol.
In their eyes, this was a Christian symbol and it offended them.
The case stated the structure “excessively entangles the government in religion because the cross is the core symbol of Christianity and breaches the wall separating the church and state.”
Defenders of the Peace Cross have stated it is not religious at all but rather a secular symbol solely to honor the town’s fallen.
When the case landed in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, it was ruled to be unconstitutional, so the supporters of the symbol took the case to the Supreme Court… and won.
In his opinion, Justice Alito wrote, “For nearly a century, the Bladensburg Cross has expressed the community’s grief at the loss of the young men who perished, its thanks for their sacrifice, and its dedication to the ideals for which they fought.”
“It has become a prominent community landmark, and its removal or radical alteration at this date would be seen by many not as a neutral act but as the manifestation of ‘a hostility toward religion that has no place in our Establishment Clause traditions.’”
Finally, some common sense has prevailed in that sometimes things just are what they are, not what you try to sensationalize them to be.
Score one for the good guys.
Source: Fox News
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