Coalition Formed to Keep Hilltop Crosses

Angered by an atheist group’s crusade to remove three massive crosses from public property, some San Diego ministers, politicians and advocacy groups have formed a coalition to fight for the towering monuments.

Spearheaded by the right-wing organization Young Americans for Freedom, the pro-cross forces have claimed the endorsement of several local lawmakers, among them Mayor Maureen O’Connor.

Leaders of the San Diego chapter of American Atheists wrote city and county officials Nov. 6 to ask that crosses be removed from public parkland on Mt. Soledad in La Jolla, Mt. Helix in La Mesa and at Presidio Park in San Diego.

Constitutional Debate

The atheists argue that the crosses represent a violation of constitutional provisions calling for the separation of church and state.

Barry Jantz, state vice chairman of Young Americans for Freedom, said Friday that the assorted individuals and organizations that have united on behalf of the crosses believe there is no constitutional reason to remove the huge Christian symbols.

“The atheists’ argument is a misinterpretation of the Constitution,” Jantz said. “To me, it’s freedom for religion. To them, it’s freedom from religion.”

In a press release issued Friday, Jantz said the effort was begun “to show the public that someone is still willing to support a viewpoint that cherishes America’s religious heritage and traditional values” while demonstrating to “those who mock us that we will fight for what we believe in.”

Among the groups that have agreed to join the coalition, Jantz said, are the Christian Voters League, Concerned Women for America, Freedom First Coalition, California Coalition for Traditional Values, City Beautiful of San Diego and the Mt. Soledad Memorial Assn.

A press conference was planned for this morning in San Diego to announce the coalition’s formation.

Not Surprised by Reaction

Stephen Thorne, director of the local atheists group, said Friday that he was not surprised by the outpouring of opposition to the push to remove the crosses. In recent weeks, Thorne said, he and other atheist leaders in San Diego County have been harassed by telephone callers.

“People seem to think we’re in this for fun,” Thorne said. “It’s not fun to have threatening phone calls. It takes courageous Americans to come out and take a stand like we are to protect the Constitution.

“The freedom of religion means absolutely nothing unless there’s freedom from it. You’ve got to be able to say no, otherwise you don’t have any freedom.”

Thorne said local politicians have jumped on the pro-cross bandwagon because they see the issue as one of “Mom, apple pie and the girl next door.”

“It’s obvious what’s going on,” he said. “They’re doing this because it’s politically expedient.”

O’Connor could not be reached for comment Friday, but Assemblywoman-elect Carol Bentley and outgoing state Sen. Jim Ellis threw their support behind the crosses.

‘Utterly Ridiculous’

“I think what these atheists are asking for is utterly ridiculous and stupid,” said Ellis, whose district includes Mt. Helix. “What I’d do is put them all in jail. . . . I know they don’t like Christmas trees, either, or the words Jesus Christ. “

Ellis did not specify what law he believed the atheists had broken.

Bentley said the atheists have displayed a “warped attitude” and simply “want to see their names in print.”

“To me, it’s absolutely outlandish,” Bentley said. “All this thing with separation of church and state has gotten a little out of hand, and it’s reached ridiculous extremes when they start trying to remove crosses.”

Bentley argued that the U.S. Constitution outlaws the establishment of a national religion.

“That’s all it’s intended to be,” she said. “I don’t think the framers of the Constitution intended it to come to this. What they intended was respect for all religions.”

Hawaii, Houston Cases

Thorne, however, argued that the pro-cross forces have “no understanding of what the Constitution is all about.” He cited court cases in Hawaii and Houston, where mammoth crucifixes honoring the nation’s war dead were removed from hilltops.

“The Supreme Court has never agreed to review a case in which crosses were removed from public land,” said Thorne, who has promised to push the issue into court if necessary. “The only reason you don’t see more people demanding that crosses be removed is that they don’t want to subject themselves to the harassment of their fellow Americans.”

Legal authorities with the city and county are researching the issue, but they could not be reached for comment Friday.

Some local officials have speculated that the crosses at Presidio Park and on Mt. Soledad may circumvent the church-state issue because they are war memorials and therefore of potential historical significance.

In the case of the Mt. Helix cross, officials hope the fact that the monument was standing when the county acquired the parkland will be enough to avoid any legal challenges.