Your American Civil Liberties Union at work:
A group of atheists in Salt Lake City is taking on the State of Utah and the Utah Highway Patrol over the law enforcement agency’s use of crosses on roadways to memorialize troopers killed in the line of duty.
The lawsuit has triggered a debate about whether a cross is an appropriate way of honoring troopers killed in the line of duty.
The American atheists filing the lawsuit said they respect the sacrifices the troopers have made, but they are offended by the used of what they call a religious symbol to honor them.
“Government should not endorse religion in general, nor should a government endorse a particular religion,” attorney Brain Barnard said. “For a Jew to look at it, for a Muslim to look at it, for a Buddhist to look at it, they are not going to say that’s a neutral symbol.”
In my opinion, this has absolutely nothing to do with people’s sensitivities and everything to do with making as forceful a statement as possible because religion is inexorably linked with judgmentalism, the Right wing, conservatism and the like. The Left is determined to remove religion completely from sight, period. The start is at the governmental level. Once that is accomplished, well, the level will change. Trust me on this.
Are you offended when you see a cross honoring those who have fallen in the line of duty, either soldiers or law officers?
Do the logical extension: what about Arlington Cemetary?
Unbelievable!!! The ACLU has sunk to a new low.
12 06 05
Well, and there you have a wonderful reason why they must be stopped or slowed down to the speed of molasses on a very cold San Francisco Summer Day!!! 🙂 ha ha ha Check out http://www.stoptheaclu.com for more info. Excellent resource. They also have open trackbacks so you can increase your blog traffic that way. I think you would like the site. These ACLUIANS are nuts and come now, Utah was founded on a religious basis, those atheists need to leave or shut up!!! Good post; got the blood boiling!!!
I can hardly wait to erect a cross to commemorate the passing of the ACLU.
Mr. Sandy that is priceless.
I personally think we should make Sandy’s vision a reality. We should discover where they get their funding and pick them apart. I’m sick of playing softball with them. I’m ready to go smash mouth.
My wife (echotig.blogspot.com) has posted a good adress for sending the ACLU Christmas cards.
I am so tired, so tired, of people wanting to change the course of the nation and others on the basis of being “unconstitutional”. The way I look at it is our nation was founded with a seperation of church and state which means to me that If I WANT to be part of a religion, then the government should stay out of it. This also means that if you want to get rid of crosses in your little work cubicle… then have at it! My work station or home or car is mine to express myself and my beliefs. And for the ACLU if you are offended by the cross, don’t try to change my thinking, change yours… think of it as a lower case “t” (unless something on Sesame Street offended you when you were a kid and you haven’t recovered since). You are also disrespecting the officer’s beliefs, and now that he is deceased, he is not part of an earthly government anymore!
I also wonder if Michael Newdow will be at his job working diligently on Christmas day, or will he be spending it at home with his family.
EB
I linked to you several times in my new post.
Mahndisa: okay, please ‘splain a “trackback” to me, since getting traffic is a goal — and THANKS for the website!
Sandy: can I be there to hammer in the post?
BWH: coolio. I’ll go there for sending a loving and embracing Christmas card — since that will obviously light their drawers on fire.
Anonymous: hey dude, welcome to the site! GREAT comment! People quantify it as a “freedom of church and state” — it is NOT a “freedom of church FROM state.” No matter what anyone says, this is fundamentally a Christian nation based on the good, basic tenets of religion itself. Michael Newdow? What a pathetic, cloying, self-absorbed, megalomaniacal, self-worshiping narcissist.
LMC: whoa! I’m going there NOW! Thanks!!
12 07 05
Hey Blo Zep: Here you are:)
Definition of Trackbacks
Simple Tracks trackback service
Also check out Technorati for traffic tools. Best Wishes:) Have a great day!
As usual I love your quote in your ponderings section. You always come up with good ones.
LMC: Thank you VERY much! I try to find things either very apropos to today, or things that people may never have read before!
Not MY ACLU!
I have often said that in America, you do not have a constitutional right not to be offended.
Ron Jeremy has said, “The First Amendment doesn’t protect speech you like, it protects speech you hate.”
It’s surprising to me how much weight a vocal minority is given in this country. A cross is wholly appropriate symbol – the ONLY approriate symbol – to honer these fallen heroes. If there was a Jew or a Muslim, I would expect to see a Star of David or a Cresent. It is not unconstitutional for people of certain faiths to look upon the symbols of people from other faiths. What a bunch of malarkey.
An aside, Arlington cemetary consists mainly of nondescript marble slabs with the appropriate religious symbol of the servicemember engraved upon it. There are plenty of free-standing crosses, though, as well as religious figures like angels and such. A beautiful amd inspiring place, I highly recommend visiting someday if you haven’t been.
RoboSquirrel: that is an absolutely, positively “spot-on” comment about offense. SO correct.
I’ve been to DC twice, for only 2 days each. I’d like to go back, except I’d likely be saddened to see how it’s been fortified, as I last visited in 1991.