The Supreme Court gave its approval Wednesday to displaying a cross on public land to honor fallen soldiers, saying the Constitution "does not require the eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm."
Speaking for a divided court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said the 1st Amendment called for a middle-ground "policy of accommodation" toward religious displays on public land, not a strict separation of church and state.
Kennedy disagreed with judges in California who said U.S. National Park Service officials must remove a small Latin cross from the Mojave National Preserve that had stood since 1934 to honor soldiers who died in World War I. The judges said the display of the cross on public land amounted to a government endorsement of religion.
It's refreshing to see something sane come from the beltway, however the fact it was a split decision is unsettling. I agree totaly with one of the commentators on the article.
"The Mojave Cross was there long before this became a national preserve. It was erected by WWI vets to commemorate their friends who did not return home. It has historical and memorial value, and the ACLU was ridiculous for pursuing its removal. At no time did this cross represent any kind of official endorsement of a religion by the government."
Well said.