If a national atheist organization has its way, a series of 12-foot-tall memorial crosses that adorn Utah's highways will be taken down.
But not if the families of the people those crosses honor — state Highway Patrol troopers killed in the line of duty — have anything to say about it.
American Atheists Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the 13 white, steel crosses represent the death of Jesus Christ and therefore violate the First Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits government establishment of religion.
But the families of the fallen heroes say otherwise. They say the crosses, which bear the names and badge numbers of the troopers, were built strictly as memorials.
"We're being attacked personally for something we did to help us heal," said Clint Pierson, whose father, Trooper Ray Lynn Pierson, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in 1978.
"We put the crosses up as a memorial to the fallen officers."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311956,00.html
why do we bother having cemtaries anymore?? why doesn't utah do what most states do and set up a park or a living memorial, doesn't make much sense to have crosses on the side of a highway, not to mention drunk drivers or old people could hit them and hurt themselves.
But not if the families of the people those crosses honor — state Highway Patrol troopers killed in the line of duty — have anything to say about it.
American Atheists Inc. has filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the 13 white, steel crosses represent the death of Jesus Christ and therefore violate the First Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits government establishment of religion.
But the families of the fallen heroes say otherwise. They say the crosses, which bear the names and badge numbers of the troopers, were built strictly as memorials.
"We're being attacked personally for something we did to help us heal," said Clint Pierson, whose father, Trooper Ray Lynn Pierson, was shot and killed during a traffic stop in 1978.
"We put the crosses up as a memorial to the fallen officers."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311956,00.html
why do we bother having cemtaries anymore?? why doesn't utah do what most states do and set up a park or a living memorial, doesn't make much sense to have crosses on the side of a highway, not to mention drunk drivers or old people could hit them and hurt themselves.