Supporters of a towering cross-shaped memorial at a busy intersection in Maryland asked the Supreme Court on Monday to prevent the monument from being moved or destroyed.
The American Legion wants the high court to reverse an appeals court’s ruling that said the monument, on public land and maintained with taxpayer money, is unconstitutional because it “excessively entangles the government in religion.”
The Supreme Court has not given clear guidance when it comes to displays of religion on public sites, allowing some monuments with religious content to stand while rejecting others. At issue in Prince George’s County is a 40-foot-tall cross built in 1925 to honor local men who died in World War I. The marble-and-cement monument was funded by local families and the American Legion but is now owned by a state agency, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.
“The Supreme Court is the last hope for preserving the Bladensburg WWI Veterans Memorial,” said Kelly Shackelford, president of First Liberty, an organization representing the American Legion.
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