Legion challenges ACLU's 'secular cleansing'

What an accurate description for the ACLU and what it's real motives and goals are...'secular cleansing.' It reveals the true colors of the ACLU. Their not-so-subtle lawsuits against anything Christian in the public square is so blatant that anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear will recognize their antics as a deluge of religious bigotry in America. They are most often prejudiced against religion in general, and Christianity in particular. What they don't get is that our nation was founded upon the concept of FREEDOM OF RELIGION, not from religion! Thank God for the American Legion, the Alliance Defense Fund, and Christians who are willing to stand up to, and against the powerful bullies of the ACLU!

Christine

*******

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Legion challenges ACLU's 'secular cleansing'

Announcing project at San Diego cross to protect war memorials
Posted: May 25, 20061:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2000 WorldNetDaily.com-->© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Mount Soledad crossCalling it an effort to stop the ACLU's "secular cleansing," the American Legion of California is launching a campaign to defend veterans' memorials, including the embattled Mount Soledad cross in San Diego.

American Legion officials will be at the Mount Soledad memorial today, the center of nationwide controversy after U.S. District Judge Gordon Thompson – in a case brought by an atheist represented by the ACLU –ordered the city of San Diego May 3 to remove it within 90 days or face a fine of $5,000 a day.

Thompson ruled in 1991 the 29-foot structure violates the so-called "separation of church and state," but the case has remained in courts.
"America's veterans memorials have become a casualty of litigation wars as atheists and special interest organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union pursue their fanatical secular cleansing agendas," said American Legion California Department Commander Wayne Parrish.
Parrish said the Legion intends to "fight back" through its new California Defense of Veterans Memorials Project, which will be directed by a former ACLU staff attorney, Legionnaire Rees Lloyd.

The project will include involvement in litigation through cooperation with the Alliance Defense Fund, a public-interest legal alliance with more than 850 attorneys.

The American Legion Department of California has about 130,000 war-time veteran members. About 2.7 million veterans are members of the Legion nationwide.

American Legion National Commander Thomas Bock has joined Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders in calling on President Bush to use his executive powers to save the cross at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial by making it make the part of the federal park system.

Before the court issued its order to tear down the cross, 76 percent of San Diego voters chose to save the memorial by transferring it to the federal government.

Sanders met with White House lawyers in Washington, D.C., earlier this week to ask Bush to issue an executive order. Hunter, R-Calif., also discussed the issue with Vice President Dick Cheney.

The American Family Association has launched a campaign asking citizens to send an e-mail to the president to effectively take "the case out of Judge Thompson's hands" by signing an executive order transferring the land to the National Park Service.

A group formed last year to save the cross, San Diegans for the Mt. Soledad National War Memorial, has filed papers in the U.S. District Court in San Diego asking to intervene in the case, the first step in an appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Yesterday, Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Fund and Rob Schenck of the National Clergy Council planned a press conference at the Soledad site to urge supporters to come to San Diego to help save the cross.

Mahoney said in a statement "it must be constantly stressed that the Constitution promises freedom of religion not freedom from religion."
"Therefore, we are issuing a national call for the faith community and people of good will to come to San Diego and peacefully intervene to prevent the removal of the cross," he said. We can no longer be silent as our freedoms and history are being stripped away."

Related special offers:
EXTORTION! How the ACLU is destroying America using your money
Tick off the ACLU!
"Betrayed by the Bench"

Previous stories:
Cross battle goes to Washington
Citizens prepare appeal to save cross
American Legion joins cross fray
Bush urged to save San Diego cross
Lawmaker denounces cross removal
Judge orders San Diego cross removed
San Diego to appeal cross decision
San Diegans vote to save cross
Judge denies atheist's bid in cross case
ACLU threatens talk-show hosts over cross
Voters to decide on historic cross
Congress gets into ACLU cross brouhaha
Vet sues to save mountaintop cross

This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows. To view this item online, visit Legion challenges ACLU's 'secular cleansing'