Supreme Court allows war cross memorial to stand as symbol of ‘sacrifice’

Alex/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- The Supreme Court on Thursday said a 40-foot, 16-ton Latin cross in Bladensburg, Md., can stand, upholding the constitutionality of a religious symbol on public land, but stopping short of creating a clear new standard for evaluating similar displays nationwide.

"Although the cross has long been a preeminent Christian symbol, its use in the Bladensburg memorial has a special significance," Justice Alito wrote in the opinion.

"For nearly a century, the Bladensburg Cross has expressed the community's grief at the loss of the young men who perished, its thanks for their sacrifice, and its dedication to the ideals for which they fought," he said. "Its removal or radical alteration at this date would be seen by many not as a neutral act but as the manifestation of a 'hostility toward religion that has no place in our Establishment Clause traditions."

The decision was 7-2. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented.

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