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Mojave Cross torn down by vandals
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif., (UPI) -- A California war memorial cross was stolen after the Supreme Court ruled religious symbols may remain for now on public lands, the cross's caretaker group said.
The Mojave Cross, erected in San Bernardino County's High Desert in 1934 by a veterans group in tribute to fellow fallen soldiers in World War I, was torn down by vandals Sunday, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.
The cross has been the focus of decadelong litigation between its proponents and those who believe it violates the separation of church and state, the newspaper said.
In April the Supreme Court overruled a lower court's decision to remove the cross and remanded the case back to a California federal district court.
"This is an outrage, akin to desecrating people's graves," said Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Institute, a group that represented caretakers of the cross and veterans groups in the Supreme Court case. "It's a disgraceful attack on the selfless sacrifice of our veterans. We will not rest until this memorial is re-installed."
SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY, Calif., (UPI) -- A California war memorial cross was stolen after the Supreme Court ruled religious symbols may remain for now on public lands, the cross's caretaker group said.
The Mojave Cross, erected in San Bernardino County's High Desert in 1934 by a veterans group in tribute to fellow fallen soldiers in World War I, was torn down by vandals Sunday, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.
The cross has been the focus of decadelong litigation between its proponents and those who believe it violates the separation of church and state, the newspaper said.
In April the Supreme Court overruled a lower court's decision to remove the cross and remanded the case back to a California federal district court.
"This is an outrage, akin to desecrating people's graves," said Kelly Shackelford, president of Liberty Institute, a group that represented caretakers of the cross and veterans groups in the Supreme Court case. "It's a disgraceful attack on the selfless sacrifice of our veterans. We will not rest until this memorial is re-installed."
