The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today (Jan. 4) that the cross on La Jolla's Mount Soledad since 1913 is unconstitutional, according to CNN.com. Three versions of the cross have been erected; the current 43-foot cross was set up in 1954 to honor Korean War Veterans. Legal battles over the constitutionality of the cross have been going on since 1989 when two Vietnam War veterans filed suit, saying it violated the California Constitution's "No Preference" clause, according to CNN.com. The appeals court ruled that the cross was not solely a memorial. "The use of such a distinctively Christian symbol to honor all veterans sends a strong message of endorsement and exclusion," said the court. "It suggests that the government is so connected to a particular religion that it treats that religion's symbolism as its own, as universal." The cross is on public property.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today (Jan. 4) that the cross on La Jolla's Mount Soledad since 1913 is unconstitutional, according to CNN.com. Three versions of the cross have been erected; the current 43-foot cross was set up in 1954 to honor Korean War Veterans. Legal battles over the constitutionality of the cross have been going on since 1989 when two Vietnam War veterans filed suit, saying it violated the California Constitution's "No Preference" clause, according to CNN.com. The appeals court ruled that the cross was not solely a memorial. "The use of such a distinctively Christian symbol to honor all veterans sends a strong message of endorsement and exclusion," said the court. "It suggests that the government is so connected to a particular religion that it treats that religion's symbolism as its own, as universal." The cross is on public property.