ACTION ALERT
Senate may act on Mt. Soledad Cross transfer
Update: On Tuesday, August 1, 2006, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) called for unanimous consent to consider this legislation. With no objection the bill was passed. Basking in his sly victory, Frist said, "It [the Soledad East Cross] is a key symbol of our religious freedom... I do commend my colleagues for taking this significant step." The bill has become law with the signature of the President. [Note: The Secular Coalition for America issued a similar alert when this bill was under consideration by the House.]
Jul. 27, 2006 - Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) attempted to pass the Mt. Soledad Cross transfer (HR 5683) through the unanimous consent calendar today. Fortunately, the move was blocked by Democratic objections. Last week this bill, which seeks to transfer the property surrounding the 29-foot tall Christian cross on Mt. Soledad in San Diego, California to the federal government, was overwhelmingly approved by the House (349-74).
The Mt. Soledad Easter Cross was erected in 1954 and has been the subject of litigation for the last 18 years. The cross is an obvious violation of the separation of church and state. The courts have ruled in favor of removing the cross; however, earlier this month Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy issued a stay on a federal court ruling ordering the removal of the cross on or before August 2, 2006.
This legislation is just another in a long list of political stunts to delay the removal of this unconstitutional Christian symbol. A California state court has already ruled against any plan to transfer the land.
Take a stand: Contact both your Senators and urge them to allow the courts to proceed unhindered on the resolution of the Mt. Soledad cross litigation and vote against HR 5683.
You can contact your Senators through her/his website.
Below you will find a sample letter regarding this issue. Please feel free to adapt it to your voice, and to add any additional information of importance to you:
Dear Senator ________________,
I urge you to vote NO on HR 5683.
Congress should not interfere in the court's resolution of the Mt. Soledad Cross issue. This is a judicial matter that should be handled by the judicial branch of our government. The involvement of the U.S. Senate is unnecessary and detrimental to the separation of powers.
Senate involvement is also unnecessary based on the merits of the case. The Mt. Soledad Easter Cross is clearly an unconstitutional endorsement of religion and must be removed. Although designated as a war memorial (even though there were no war memorial placards or markers on the site until after the litigation was initiated), the Mt. Soledad Christian Cross dishonors the atheist, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, and other non-Christian war veterans who fought and died for this country. In our diverse nation, using the symbol of one faith to honor all veterans demeans veterans with no or other faiths as second-class citizens.
Sincerely,
Your signature