Removal of Cross From Los Angeles County Seal Prompts Lawsuit

Posted on October 20, 2006

The decision by Los Angeles County officials to remove the small cross from the county’s official seal has triggered a lawsuit. It was filed Tuesday by the Thomas More Law Center in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

The decision to remove the cross from the seal was made in June of 2004 after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue the L.A. County supervisors because of their use of a Christian symbol.

“If you look at the seal itself, you will see a lot of different symbols displaying the history of L.A. County,” said Richard Thompson, president and chief counsel for the Thomas More Law Center.

In their typical bullying methods of threatening letters of high price lawsuits the ACLU put on the pressure and L.A. County caved in. Its quite common. The ACLU had a problem with a tiny cross on the seal that they dreamed somehow threatened the establishment of religion over the residents of L.A. County. For some reason they did not feel the same threat from the central pagan goddess Pomona.

The lawsuit is based on the alleged violation of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits the government’s establishment of religion, but also protects the free exercise of religion.

“Our position is that, by removing the cross, they showed a disapproval of religion, including Christianity. That disapproval, that hostility towards Christianity, violates the Establishment Clause which has been interpreted that not only must government not promote religion, but it must also not be hostile toward religion,” stated Thompson.

“Targeting that small cross, we believe, is hostility towards religion and therefore, the decision of the board of supervisors is unconstitutional and should be rescinded, and the cross should be placed back on the county seal,” Thompson added.

“It’s a 50-year-old seal, mind you, and they hadn’t had a problem with it for 50 years. Then, all of a sudden, they did,” said Bell.

I think they have a good case, especially with the central theme of the seal being based off of a pagan goddess. It seems hostile to me to target a tiny cross. I’m not confident they will succeed initially with it going to the infamous 9th circus, but I’m sure they will pursue it further if those clowns rule their usual way. Its good to see people fighting back instead of cowering to the bullies at the ACLU. I wish them all the luck. You can support the Thomas More Law Center and its work here.

» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, Church And State, News

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Comments

6 Responses to “Removal of Cross From Los Angeles County Seal Prompts Lawsuit”

Ogre on October 20th, 2006 8:36 am

Lawsuit from one side, lawsuit from the other. That reminds me — what do you call 1,000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?
Jay on October 20th, 2006 9:08 am

It is a lot of money spent over a tiny cross isn’t it? I give up, what is the answer to your riddle? Fish food?
Fausta on October 20th, 2006 10:38 am

Pomona?
Jay on October 20th, 2006 10:43 am

Pomona, roman Goddess of Fruit and Orchards
Skul on October 21st, 2006 4:52 pm

Ogre, I’d call that a good start.

I wonder if the elitists of the aclu know where the name “Los Angeles” came from? aclu, your stupidity boggles the mind.
kerwin_brown on October 22nd, 2006 3:46 am

They should also sue the ACLU since the last I knew extortion is against the law. They would have to have an affected citizen of the jurisdiction bring the case. Maybe we can get the ACLU branded a criminal organization.