The Morning Report
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The editorial page of the Los Angeles Times on Saturday called for the Mount Soledad Cross to be taken down.
Here’s why:
Whether viewed as a war memorial, an icon or a place of worship, the cross is an extremely visible symbol of one religion. It occupies arguably the most prominent piece of public real estate in the city, which is in a state where the Constitution is even more exacting than the U.S. Bill of Rights about the separation of church and state. California’s “no preference” clause explicitly prohibits the government from giving any preferential treatment to a particular religion, which is mainly why federal courts have ruled repeatedly that the cross must go. Even seen as a public war memorial, it is lopsided, honoring only those members of the armed forces who belonged to a particular faith.
It ends:
But it is abundantly clear – from court proceedings, legal history and to any passing motorist on I-5 – that the cross on Mt. Soledad represents an unacceptable establishment of religion on public land.
Read the full editorial here.