U.S. House Considers Resolution Condemning Mojave Memorial Theft

Sep 28, 2010

www.LC.org

Washington, DC – Liberty Counsel stands in support of U.S. House Resolution 1378, which condemns the theft of the Mojave Desert Cross Memorial. The House is discussing the Resolution today and is scheduled to vote on it tomorrow. First erected in 1934, the memorial was simply a cross placed in the Mojave Desert to honor the fallen warriors of World War I, and in 2002 it was declared to be a National Memorial. This memorial had the unique distinction of being the only memorial of its kind dedicated to the fallen soldiers of World War I.

Unfortunately, a small group of people took offense to the fact that this memorial was shaped as a cross. They filed a lawsuit to have it removed from public property and then took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief to protect the cross. While the case was pending, the lower court ordered the cross to be covered with a square piece of plywood on each side to hide the cross. On April 28, 2010, the Supreme Court issued its decision, which sent the case back to the lower court. On May 9, 2010, the memorial cross was ripped from its foundation and stolen. Some citizens worked to replace the old cross with an identical new one, but their efforts were countered by court officials who ordered that no new cross could be put in place of the old one. The U.S. Department of Justice is not aggressively moving this case forward, and thus the case appears stalled.

That is why the House Resolution, by supporting this memorial and condemning the horrible acts of vandalism that took place, is a step in the right direction. Liberty Counsel encourages the House to pass this Resolution unanimously.

Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, commented: “This cross was erected to honor WWI veterans and the sacrifices made by these brave soldiers and their families. It is revealing and tragic when vandals finish the work started by the ACLU. Hopefully the U.S. House Resolution will breathe new life back into this case and be the catalyst to restore the memorial cross.”

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