Mayor Says He Will Fight to Maintain Cross War Memorial
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said that he will continue a 17-year legal battle to maintain the cross on Mt. Soledad. The ACLU brought a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the cross, and a federal court judge ordered its removal within 90 days. Mayor Sanders, who will be a guest on Jay Sekulow Live! today, noted that this is not simply about a Christians symbol. Sanders said yesterday at a rally of supporters at Soledad Natural Park in La Jolla, CA, that What this boils down to is preserving a nationally registered war memorial that is an integral part of San Diego history.
As I mentioned last week, U.S. District Court Judge Gordon Thompson ordered the city to remove the reinforced concrete cross from city property within 90 days or be fined each day that it remains. Sanders noted that a referendum was passed with 75% of the voters supporting the cross war memorial. At the rally, Sanders said that You have given me my marching orders, and I intend to carry them out. Sanders has urged the City Council to send his lawyers to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to obtain a stay that would suspend Thompsons order as this case continues on appeals, both in the state and federal court system.
I have instructed a senior team at the American Center for Law & Justice to file briefs representing our interests, and that of our members, in this important case. Senior Counsel Frank Manion will be heading up this project. What is interesting to note is that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in its previous ruling did not say that the cross had to be dismantled. After the decision came out, the city arranged for the sale of the property, and the federal government passed legislation to accept the monument. The city attorney has now said that he supports the strategy to pursue all legal matters in order to preserve the monument. He noted that We owe it to the voters to do everything we can.
Tune in to Jay Sekulow Live! today to hear the latest on this case from the mayor of San Diego, Jerry Sanders, as well as our Senior Counsel Frank Manion.