Faith Leaders Calls on Congress to Respect Veterans & Their Faith Over Mohave Cross Theft

The right wing evangelicals are at it again. This time, Dr. Gary Cass of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission would rather come out swinging for the theft of the Mohave Cross than even entertain the right of gays and lesbians serving in the military to be allowed to be themselves. He claims while we prepart to celebrate Memorial Day, "we do so knowing brave veterans and our shared faith have been maliciously attacked, first by thieves and now by our own Federal Government." Really? Isn't that a little disingenuous considering the religious right has mounted a campaign to deny homosexuals their basic right to be true to themselves? The Mohave Cross is a symbol of all veterans -- black, white, homosexual, heterosexual and so on.

The recent theft and desecration of the Mohave Cross, serving as a WWI veterans war memorial since 1934, was more than a symbol of gratitude to our fallen heroes. It's a symbol of the overwhelming majority of our WWI veterans' faith.

After a long and contentious legal battle, the US Supreme Court ruled the Mohave Cross should remain on Sunrise Rock in the Mojave National Preserve. Yet, in order to circumvent a decision they disagreed with, despicable cowards violated the Court's decision and the rule of law. These lawless acts of violence against the faith community, further demonstrated by last week's desecration of the Maywood, CA Catholic Church, have got to cease.

Now, adding insult to injury, the Federal Government won't approve a permit to build another cross exactly like the one that was stolen. This political correctness run amuck has exposed again an ugly, anti-Christian bigotry and intolerance towards veterans by this administration. We call on the US Congress to investigate why the Park Service refuses to allow the cross to be replaced.

The irony is painfully obvious. Generations of Christians and patriots made the ultimate sacrifice giving us a land of freedom and religious tolerance. But now criminals and the government are conspiring to deprive them the honor they are due. This makes Christian Americans into second class citizens in the very country for which our Christian forefathers bled and died.

It is truly ironic that Gary Cass, Cliff Kincaid, Bryan Fischer and all the other Christian right wing nuts could fight for a cross but deny gays and lesbians the right to serve in the military freely.