By James L. Lambert
July 20, 2006

SAN DIEGO, CA (AgapePress) - In a stunning defeat for the ACLU, the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H.R. 5683, which "provides for the immediate acquisition of the [Mt. Soledad Veterans] Memorial by the United States" government. The bill, which required a two-thirds majority, passed 349-74. (See roll call vote)

In a prepared statement, bill sponsor Rep. Duncan Hunter (R - El Cajon) of California said, "today's vote is promising news in the effort to preserve the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial and brings us one step closer to permanently securing this historic landmark's place in San Diego county. Unfortunately, those who support the removal of the memorial have misunderstood and complicated its purpose." Hunter was referring to the long legal battle that has been waged by atheist attorney James McElroy and the American Civil Liberties Union to remove the historic cross located on Mt. Soledad overlooking La Jolla, a suburb of San Diego.

Charles LiMandri, West Coast director of the Thomas More Law Center, has spent more than two years defending the cross. He considers the vote "a wonderful development, consistent with the will of the vast majority of people of San Diego." LiMandri expressed consternation that two Democratic representatives from the Golden State -- Susan Davis (San Diego) and Bob Filner (Chula Vista) -- opposed the measure. Their "nay" votes represented two of the 74 no votes (17 percent of the House vote). "The votes against this bill by Susan Davis and Bob Filner are extremely disappointing given the number of veterans in each of their districts who were counting on them," says LiMandri.

On the other side of Congress, Sen. Jeff Sessions has introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate that is identical to the legislation passed by the House. According to Sessions, both bills "would direct the Secretary of Defense to manage to property while the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association would be responsible for maintenance."

In explaining his support of Senate legislation to save the cross, the Alabama senator said, "the Mount Soledad Veteran's Memorial has sadly come under attack by liberal California judges and the ACLU because it contains a cross commemorating fallen soldiers. Our nation has a long history and tradition of memorializing members of the armed forces who die in battle with a cross and other emblems of faith. This memorial has stood since 1954, and Congress should make sure that the monument remains intact as a tribute to those who sacrificed their lives in defense of our country."

While Hunter experienced easy passage of his bill on Wednesday, how it might fare in the Senate is unclear. Earlier this week, the ACLU distributed a three-page letter warning House lawmakers against passage of the bill. Caroline Fredrickson, the ACLU's top lobbyist on Capitol Hill, called passage of H.R. 5683 a "very dangerous precedent of Congressional favoritism of a particular religious symbol," and contended that the "conversion of the land under Mt. Soledad through the powers of eminent domain does not eliminate the constitutional issues at stake."

Fredrickson also accused proponents of the bill of "spreading the urban myth" that elimination of the cross would eventually lead atheists to demand removal of crosses from federal cemeteries. However, actions by her organization and others like it demonstrate that many atheists seek to remove all references to God within the public domain.

Local San Diego radio (760 KFMB) talk-show host Rick Roberts is asking San Diegans on Thursday to contact their U.S. senators to request they vote for Senator Session's bill. The American Family Association, along with its 200 radio affiliates, is making similar requests of their audience this week.

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