The fight to preserve the Mount Soledad cross continues in San Diego. After one week, as of March 19, 8,000 signatures had been received for a petition to keep the cross standing in its war memorial setting. Over 25,000 more signatures will be needed by April 6 before the City Council vote to remove the cross can be reversed.
There is something epic in the protracted struggle over this cross. Some supporters of its preservation consider the cross a part of the region's history, others view it as a symbol of religious hope. That one discontented atheist could cause 16 years of upheaval over a simple monument at the top of a hill is a tragic indicator of the sad state of common sense in this country.
"We the People of the United States..." begins our nation's Constitution. "We," not "I." If one atheist is offended, even a small number of atheists, I don't believe the majority of Americans should have to sit down and shut up. I think the Founders who signed the Declaration of Independence--a document that refers to God, the Creator, and Providence--would agree with me.
If 33,610 registered San Diego voters agree by April 6, will they have finally won the right to keep a symbol of their city in place? Or will the tyranny of one atheist triumph? San Diego now stands at a crossroads for religious freedom, common sense, and majority rule.
