Veterans group may restore cross in Mojave Desert

A veterans group can restore a memorial cross in the Mojave Desert under a court settlement that ends a decade-old legal battle, the National Park Service said Tuesday.

A federal judge approved the lawsuit settlement on Monday, permitting the park service to turn over a remote hilltop area known as Sunrise Rock to a Veteran of Foreign Wars post in Barstow and the Veterans Home of California-Barstow.

The park will give up the acre of land in exchange for five acres of donated property elsewhere in the 1.6 million acre preserve in Southern California.

The swap, which could be completed by the end of the year, will permit veterans to restore a cross to the site and end a controversy that became tangled in the thorny issues of patriotism and religion and made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003.

The last cross was ordered removed by the park service in 2010 because of a court order.

The donated land is owned by Henry and Wanda Sandoz of Yucca Valley.

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JulesV29

Unfortunately, the Liberal Progressives have pushed for years for the meaning of the First Amendment to be changed so that people now believe it means Freedom FROM Religion, rather than Freedom OF Religion. We have allowed a few to run roughshod over the rest of us through Political Correctness and Affirmative Action. It is past time to STOP this movement.
- Deep_Thinker
  
  Are you telling me we shouldn't or don't have freedom from religion? Freedom of religion means you can choose which religion you want to profess, but it also means you can choose to not be a part of any religion. Therefore freedom from religion is the same thing…
  - Evermyrtle
    
    I don't think that is what he is saying at all. He is saying they, the anti-CHRIST people, are trying to change the first amendment to say the opposite of what it is saying, I think. This country has always been "Free From Religion." We could always choose the way we believe or don't believe. It appears to me, that they are trying to say that "we do not have a right to believe as we choose. They want us to believe as they believe and they seem to have set out to force us to give up our belief in JESUS CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOR. They are fighting to wipe out the cross and any sign of our SAVIOR from every public place. If they are successful in that, then they will try to do the same on our private property, they will work on getting rid of any sign of JESUS CHRIST on our own property..They are fighting a losing battle. It won't happen, HE will be here long after any of them exist and long after their master, Satan is thrown into the fire. .
    - Deep_Thinker
      
      It didn't sound like what he was saying, but I agree if anyone is trying to keep us from being able to believe something (a negative right) then yes, that's horrible. People get confused with positive and negative rights. Positive rights are those that you can choose to do or not do. Our country was based on positive rights.
    - daves
      
      Why do so many Christians feel the need to have a cross displayed on public land? It diverts from everything that is important about Jesus Christ.
      - Evermyrtle
        
        The cross, Daves, represents what HE did for us. He did not only die on the cross for us but he hung on that cross for about four agonizing hours for YOU and for me. All of our sins were laid on HIM because of that cross where HE willingly gave HIS life so that we would be forgiven of our sins, and be able to live after this life on earth is finished with HIM in heaven. The thing about it is "HE DID NOT HAVE TO DO IT. HE DID IT BECAUSE HE LOVED US SO MUCH, YOU and me.
        
        I cannot say that I would be willing to be with nailed with spikes driven through my wrists, my feet and my body on a cross for anybody until the agony killed me. He died after every drop of HIS BLOOD drained from HIS body while hanging on that cross an then we ask "why is the cross important to you?". This is the reason that the anti-CHRIST are trying to force the cross out of existence today. It is a massive testimony of JESUS LOVE FOR YOU AND FOR ME.
      - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
        
        You left off the part of it being on public land. Put up all the crosses you want on private land with private money. But the public lands are not a place for your religionist icons to be paraded about.
- http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
  
  If there is no freedom from religion, then all it takes is for one of the more dominent religious groups to claim a particular religion is not really a religion at all, and therefore, is not entitled to the same protections. Freedom of religion is the same as freedom from religion.
  - Dave
    
    Jeff when you come to term that athiestism IS A RELIGION the truth will set you free.
    - http://rationalresponses.blogspot.com/ Jeff Dixon
      
      Dave, the mere fact that you believe Atheism is a religion lets me know it is not one.
Bobseeks

Just think about how much time and money the atheist/lieberals have stolen from taxpayers over the years in their effort to pervert the constitution and remove Christ from the public square.
- Deep_Thinker
  
  And how much money the neocons and RINOs have stolen to fund the endless wars and use our money to kill people overseas… Ya, it works on both sides of the aisle..
  - Bobseeks
    
    As usual not-so-deep-thinker you lie because most of the wars in the last century were conducted by maocrats and the maocrats are continuing the tradition in Afghanistan and perhaps soon in Iran. The maocrats also originally supported the war in Iraq until they lost their nerve. Also, the atheist/lieberals waste much more money on welfare and bloated government than the GOP ever wasted on "its" wars. Once again I must point out that you moniker does not accurately reflect your witless and untruthful posts.
    - Deep_Thinker
      
      If by maocrats you are talking about Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, GW Sr., Reagan, Clinton, Obama…etc then I agree. You must not know about the invasion of Panama and other latin american countries under GOP rule, or the invasions of the Caribbean either. No, Vietnam and Korea were totally using our tax payer dollars efficiently. You need to keep seeking, because you obviously haven't found any knowledge bobseks..
      - Bobseeks
        
        Actually, the smallest grain of truth contains more knowledge than all the lies ever told and your reply gives evidence that you are a liar with no truth in you because you define things to fit your lies. Lumping Reagan, Bush, and Cheney in with the marxists clinton and maobama illustrates that you are a liar and possibly suffering from a mental disease.
      - Deep_Thinker
        
        Your telling me Clinton went to war in Afghanistan? You disproved nothing I said, but called me a liar (without any proof or substantive proof behind your belief). I suggest you get off your chair, socially interact with someone other than yourself and learn how the world works bobseks. Your arguments are pathetic and it's a waste of time talking with someone who can't articulate something without their conclusion ending in "your a liar!". wow
      - Dave
        
        Deep think your twisting the truth,face it buddy your half facts about history is Very limited. Look up panama your so call invasion is NOT quite true, Look up history on that event you will find there was a cause by Panama government to enact the act of US invasion. Try look at that time Human act that was happening at that time from the panama Government to it people.
        
        Again like a few people here to twist truth to make there piont is the CAUSE of a problem here in the world and country!!
      - Evermyrtle
        
        Bob, I think he is thinking and acting just exactly like a liberal. I am so afraid you cannot change the way they think. GOD only can do that. but HE seldom grabs ahold of anyone like HE grabbed ahold of Paul in HIS WORD, but is is possible and I hope that will happen to "deep_thinker??"
    - bighoss
      
      Yet another insulting rant from a Republicreep/Conservatrash . See, you are not the only one who can invent silly and insulting names.
      - bighoss
        
        Reply is to Bobseeks (Bobscreeches), above
Debra

Come Lord Jesus, come! It can't be soon enough!
- Evermyrtle
  
  You are right! He says HE will come sooner that HE first planned, because we would destroy ourselves ant he world if HE doesn't do that in Matt. 24:2; Mark 13:20.
KnowTheTruthToday

Good, people should have the right to do this if they like without a few morons trying to tell the vast majority what to do.
daves

Why?
bighoss

It is time for deranged dingbats to stop posting in all caps!