Mojave Desert cross, focus of long legal battle, is stolen
Jack Linthicum
Mojave Desert cross, focus of long legal battle, is stolen
The 7-foot steel and concrete symbol honoring WWI vets had stood atop
Sunrise Rock since 1934.The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that it
could stay put. The VFW has offered a $25,000 reward.
Lost symbol
Ken Layne of Yucca Valley photographs the spot where the WWI memorial
cross stood. The cross was erected atop Sunrise Rock in 1934. (Gina
Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
*
PHOTOS: Mojave Desert Cross PHOTOS: Mojave Desert Cross
*
MAP: Former location of stolen cross MAP: Former location of
stolen cross
By David Kelly, Los Angeles Times
May 12, 2010
Less than two weeks ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the
controversial 7-foot-high Mojave Desert cross could stay put, but on
Sunday someone else decided it should go.
Investigators who arrived at its former perch Monday found a few bits
of rusty metal, 1.6 million acres of desert and a big mystery on their
hands.
"One day it was there, the next day it wasn't," said Linda Slater,
spokeswoman for the Mojave National Preserve, where the cross stood
for 76 years. "It was bolted directly to the rock, and the bolts were
cut. Someone has that cross."
Whoever that someone is could have driven right up to it, knocked it
down, loaded it up and been in Las Vegas, Barstow or dozens of other
communities in a few hours, officials said.
Not that uprooting the monument would have been easy. This is the
third incarnation of the cross, which has been vandalized before. It
was made of steel pipes 3 to 4 inches wide, filled with concrete.
"It would be extremely heavy to move," Slater said.
Intended as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I, the cross
stood atop Sunrise Rock along remote Cima Road since 1934. For the
last decade it sparked court battles over whether a solitary religious
symbol should be allowed on public land.
But despite the legal arguments, the heist prompted outrage and
condemnation on both sides of the debate.
"However you feel about the cross, this was not permissible and should
not have been done," said Peter Eliasberg, an attorney for the ACLU of
Southern California, which has fought against the monument in court.
Thomas Tradewell Sr., the national commander of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, which placed the original cross, said those responsible
would be caught.
"This was a legal fight that a vandal just made personal to 50 million
veterans, military personnel and their families," Tradewell said. "To
think anyone can rationalize the desecration of a war memorial is
sickening, and for them to believe they won't be apprehended is very
naive."
The VFW has offered a $25,000 reward for information leading to the
arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel at the Liberty Institute, which
represented veterans groups during the legal fight, stressed the
timing of the theft.
"It hasn't even been two weeks since the Supreme Court decision, and
evidently someone didn't like that decision and took the law into
their own hands and tore it down," he said. "It's clear this wasn't
done by one person. It was done with a lot of planning and intention.
They completely unearthed the base plate in the ground."
In 1999, national park employee Frank Buono, represented by the ACLU,
filed a complaint saying the cross was unconstitutional because it
represented just one faith — Christianity. A judge ordered that it be
covered with a wooden box until the matter was resolved.
Congress tried to transfer the land to private owners so the cross
could be legally displayed, but a federal court ruled against the
plan.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a 5-4 ruling last month saying the
Constitution does not "require the eradication of all religious
symbols from the public realm" and sent the case back to federal court
for reconsideration.
The investigation is being handled by rangers from the National Park
Service, who have been in contact with local authorities as well as
the U.S. Department of Justice.
Given the vast, largely unmonitored terrain, it will probably be
difficult. Rangers will be looking for fingerprints, tire tracks or
anything else that might provide clues to who was responsible. As
federal law enforcement officers, they can go wherever the evidence
leads them and will have access to a wide range of tools, including
forensics equipment, Slater said.
"This is a high-profile case," she said. "I think they will get
whatever they need."
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call the Mojave
National Preserve tip line at (760) 252-6120.
vaughn
"Jack Linthicum" <jackli...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:f7cfb066-5635-4da1...@h39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
Why Jack?
Jack Linthicum
> "Jack Linthicum" <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
>
> news:f7cfb066-5635-4da1...@h39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
>
> Why Jack?
If you have to ask you will never understand.
Ray OHara
"Jack Linthicum" <jackli...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:f7cfb066-5635-4da1...@h39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
Map and photos at the citation
Mojave Desert cross, focus of long legal battle, is stolen
The 7-foot steel and concrete symbol honoring WWI vets had stood atop
Sunrise Rock since 1934.The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that it
could stay put. The VFW has offered a $25,000 reward.
Lost symbol
=====================================================================
I'll wager it's either pranksters or rightwingnuts trying to create an
incident that took it.
Jack Linthicum
> "Jack Linthicum" <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
That's a long way to go to prank.
Ray OHara
===========================================================================
people will go to great lengths to get on TV even if peripherally.
tankfixer
oh...@hotmail.com says...
Why would ththese "rightwingnuts" do that when they have won in the
courts ?
dott.Piergiorgio
well, I understand that is IT because this Vet association involved was
interforce, hence has Naval relevance (aside that this NG is actually
sci,MILITARY.naval... ;) )
On the fact in se, I guess is another bad sign whose should warn
ecclesiastic that recovering a bit of wisdom is really needed, and
keeping a low profile for a while (but, I'm pretty sure that was
inevitable that religious hard-stancers[1] has this attitude, because of
the now just arrived interesting days we see around, and people became
more and more fed up with the concept of guilty-based, dogmatic and
proselitism-based religions (that is, Christianity and Islam, Judaism
being an ethnical religion whose DON'T proselytize )
P.s. For Dennis: I haven't forgetten the mail about next years in Rome,
I have taken a pause on this, then, as usual, I was jumped by Events,
and the recent Events aren't easy to analyse, because, well, seems to
imply a really *huge* bombshell, but a brief explanation later....
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.
Jack Linthicum
> In article <hsf33r$th...@news.eternal-september.org>, raymond-
> oh...@hotmail.com says...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Jack Linthicum" <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> >news:f7cfb066-5635-4da1...@h39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
> > Map and photos at the citation
>
> > Mojave Desert cross, focus of long legal battle, is stolen
> > The 7-foot steel and concrete symbol honoring WWI vets had stood atop
> > Sunrise Rock since 1934.The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that it
> > could stay put. The VFW has offered a $25,000 reward.
>
> > Lost symbol
>
> > =====================================================================
>
> > I'll wager it's either pranksters or rightwingnuts trying to create an
> > incident that took it.
>
> Why would ththese "rightwingnuts" do that when they have won in the
> courts ?
What win?
tankfixer
@p2g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, jackli...@earthlink.net says...
"culminating in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the cross to remain
on federal land"
Jack Linthicum
> In article <517e2813-b2dc-4437-aa91-d7eb0f13cb06
> @p2g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 13, 1:11 am, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > In article <hsf33r$th...@news.eternal-september.org>, raymond-
> > > oh...@hotmail.com says...
>
> > > > "Jack Linthicum" <jacklinthi...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
> > > >news:f7cfb066-5635-4da1...@h39g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
> > > > Map and photos at the citation
>
> > > > Mojave Desert cross, focus of long legal battle, is stolen
> > > > The 7-foot steel and concrete symbol honoring WWI vets had stood atop
> > > > Sunrise Rock since 1934.The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that it
> > > > could stay put. The VFW has offered a $25,000 reward.
>
> > > > Lost symbol
>
> > > > =====================================================================
>
> > > > I'll wager it's either pranksters or rightwingnuts trying to create an
> > > > incident that took it.
>
> > > Why would ththese "rightwingnuts" do that when they have won in the
> > > courts ?
>
> > What win?
>
> >http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/11/news/la-cross11-m
>
> "culminating in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing the cross to remain
> on federal land"
IIRC the Supreme Court sent the case back to lower court with the
admonition to take another look, that circumstances change, and
government accommodation of religious symbols doesn't in all cases
involve endorsement of religion.
tankfixer
4032c3...@o14g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, jackli...@earthlink.net
says...
In other words those who wanted it gone, lost.
And more than likely are the ones who went and stole it
David E. Powell
there when the gov't bought the land, as a momument to veterans of WW1
who dies of gas.
Another still to cut it down when someone had offered to buy the piece
of land it was one, to compromise, and the courts looked to be
interested in that.
Someone is a real pos cutting down a memorial to dead servicemen and
to others who came to the desert after WW1 because of injuries and the
belief the air could help in the desert.
Jack Linthicum
> In article <01258e90-c030-4fe9-86dd-
> 4032c3e80...@o14g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net
> says...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 13, 9:05 pm, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > In article <517e2813-b2dc-4437-aa91-d7eb0f13cb06
> > > @p2g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
>
"went and stole it"?
tankfixer
@w3g2000vbd.googlegroups.com>, jackli...@earthlink.net says...
>
> On May 14, 8:19ï¿œpm, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > In article <01258e90-c030-4fe9-86dd-
> > 4032c3e80...@o14g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net
> > says...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > On May 13, 9:05ï¿œpm, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > In article <517e2813-b2dc-4437-aa91-d7eb0f13cb06
> > > > @p2g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
> >
Sorry you don't understand ?
Some whiney SOB didn't get their way in court so they stole the item in
question.
Gee Jack, I thought you wee smarter than that
Jack Linthicum
> In article <02b9b15d-f709-48c8-9375-280cd3b6e412
> @w3g2000vbd.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
>
>
>
>
>
> > On May 14, 8:19 pm, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > In article <01258e90-c030-4fe9-86dd-
> > > 4032c3e80...@o14g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net
> > > says...
>
> > > > > In article <517e2813-b2dc-4437-aa91-d7eb0f13cb06
> > > > > @p2g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
>
I thought it isn't wise to jump to conclusions. Las Vegas teenagers,
drunk Vietnam vets in Barstow, and a hundred other solutions. That
sucker was heavy and they cut the bolts holding it to the rock. Go
figure the ACLU in that scenario.
tankfixer
a46ff5...@m21g2000vbr.googlegroups.com>, jackli...@earthlink.net
says...
>
> On May 15, 8:49ï¿œpm, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > In article <02b9b15d-f709-48c8-9375-280cd3b6e412
> > @w3g2000vbd.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > > On May 14, 8:19ï¿œpm, tankfixer <paul.carr...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > In article <01258e90-c030-4fe9-86dd-
> > > > 4032c3e80...@o14g2000yqb.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net
> > > > says...
> >
> > > > > > In article <517e2813-b2dc-4437-aa91-d7eb0f13cb06
> > > > > > @p2g2000yqh.googlegroups.com>, jacklinthi...@earthlink.net says...
> >
Heavy and the bolts had to be cut.
Kind of rules out the random drunk doesn't it.
Points to preperation and planning..
I wouldn't blame the ACLU, stealing the cross was real work, not
something that the ACLU would engage in