March of the Thin Skinned...
A couple of concerned citizens are filing a suit in Las Cruces due to a horrible violation of their rights...What was this violation you ask? Were they drug from their homes by city officials and forced to recite the Lord's prayer in public? Were they taxed to support the establishment of the Catholic Church in the city of Las Cruces? Were they fined for not attending Christian services every week? Were they forced to sign a statement of adhering to the Christian faith before being elected to public office or getting a job in city government? Were they subjected to epithets or denunciations from government officials for their lack of adhering to the Christian faith? Were they vitims of a religious covenant that only allowed Christians to sell property to other Christians? How were their rights so terribly violated?
Well they have CHOSEN to live in a city whose origins and name are rooted in a historical religious heritage. They have CHOSEN to live in a city whose name when translated into English means "the crosses." They have CHOSEN to live in a city who has for more than 40 years utilized a logo that symbolizes its name and its historical heritage by utilizing three crosses on the logo.
Furthermore, these poor citizens are subjected to seeing these crosses on the city logo on city vehicles and on...stationary. Their Constitutional rights are actively being violated by the mere sight of stationary...this is truly a travesty of epic proportions.
What a set back for civil rights in our country. I mean when two citizens have chosen to live in a city where they may inadvertantly see a municipal vehicle with the cross logo, or may have to fill out a job application with a logo on the letterhead I just don't think our country is living up to its core principles. I am outraged! Citizens should never have to see religious symbols that do not reflect their own beliefs. Citizens should never have to see evidence of the religious heritage of the town in which they live. We should never have to be subjected to such visual reminders of our country's religious diversity and background.
I know exactly how these men feel. I know I am deeply offended when I visit Japan and I see Budhist artifacts and historical temples that recieve government funding...I think...how dare they affront me with the dominant religious and cultural heritage of Japan! Don't they know I do not share the Budhist faith? How can they allow their government to fund such obtrusive and insensitive objects? I am so glad that I can live in a country that is progressively working towards removing any historical reminder of our religious heritage...someday when people visit the United States we can hope that there will be no official civic reminders of the religious origins and history of certain towns and cities. The religious past of the country and some of our localities may be factual, it may be historical, but some history is just too offensive to be reflected in any official way...we must insure that our society reflects the needs of the most easily offended amongst us. We need to be sensitive to the thin-skinned Americans that cannot cope with some of the historical realities of the society in which they choose to live.
"LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - The city of Las Cruces' official emblem has three crosses that a federal lawsuit alleges are unconstitutional religious symbols on public property.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 16 in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, seeks the removal of the crosses."The crosses serve no governmental purpose other than to disenfranchise and discredit non-Christian citizens," said the lawsuit filed by Paul F. Weinbaum, who lives in the Las Cruces area, and Martin J. Boyd of Las Cruces.
Defendants include city officials, city councilors, Mayor Bill Mattiace, District Attorney Susana Martinez, state Attorney General Patricia Madrid and Gov. Bill Richardson.
"We have had to defend ourselves before and we're ready to do it again," Mattiace said."The crosses have a basis for being in our logo. We will hold course and will defend that," he said. Las Cruces is Spanish for "The Crosses."
Fermin Rubio, city attorney, said the lawsuit did not raise any new issues since attempts were made in 2003 to prevent the city from using the logo.
The state Highway and Transportation Department, now the Department of Transportation, had announced that the logos would be removed from two state highway underpasses. But Richardson ordered the agency not to remove the logo from state roads, saying it represents a historical event and is a point of pride for Las Cruces residents."
Read the rest of the article...
Well they have CHOSEN to live in a city whose origins and name are rooted in a historical religious heritage. They have CHOSEN to live in a city whose name when translated into English means "the crosses." They have CHOSEN to live in a city who has for more than 40 years utilized a logo that symbolizes its name and its historical heritage by utilizing three crosses on the logo.
Furthermore, these poor citizens are subjected to seeing these crosses on the city logo on city vehicles and on...stationary. Their Constitutional rights are actively being violated by the mere sight of stationary...this is truly a travesty of epic proportions.
What a set back for civil rights in our country. I mean when two citizens have chosen to live in a city where they may inadvertantly see a municipal vehicle with the cross logo, or may have to fill out a job application with a logo on the letterhead I just don't think our country is living up to its core principles. I am outraged! Citizens should never have to see religious symbols that do not reflect their own beliefs. Citizens should never have to see evidence of the religious heritage of the town in which they live. We should never have to be subjected to such visual reminders of our country's religious diversity and background.
I know exactly how these men feel. I know I am deeply offended when I visit Japan and I see Budhist artifacts and historical temples that recieve government funding...I think...how dare they affront me with the dominant religious and cultural heritage of Japan! Don't they know I do not share the Budhist faith? How can they allow their government to fund such obtrusive and insensitive objects? I am so glad that I can live in a country that is progressively working towards removing any historical reminder of our religious heritage...someday when people visit the United States we can hope that there will be no official civic reminders of the religious origins and history of certain towns and cities. The religious past of the country and some of our localities may be factual, it may be historical, but some history is just too offensive to be reflected in any official way...we must insure that our society reflects the needs of the most easily offended amongst us. We need to be sensitive to the thin-skinned Americans that cannot cope with some of the historical realities of the society in which they choose to live.
"LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - The city of Las Cruces' official emblem has three crosses that a federal lawsuit alleges are unconstitutional religious symbols on public property.
The lawsuit, filed Sept. 16 in U.S. District Court in Albuquerque, seeks the removal of the crosses."The crosses serve no governmental purpose other than to disenfranchise and discredit non-Christian citizens," said the lawsuit filed by Paul F. Weinbaum, who lives in the Las Cruces area, and Martin J. Boyd of Las Cruces.
Defendants include city officials, city councilors, Mayor Bill Mattiace, District Attorney Susana Martinez, state Attorney General Patricia Madrid and Gov. Bill Richardson.
"We have had to defend ourselves before and we're ready to do it again," Mattiace said."The crosses have a basis for being in our logo. We will hold course and will defend that," he said. Las Cruces is Spanish for "The Crosses."
Fermin Rubio, city attorney, said the lawsuit did not raise any new issues since attempts were made in 2003 to prevent the city from using the logo.
The state Highway and Transportation Department, now the Department of Transportation, had announced that the logos would be removed from two state highway underpasses. But Richardson ordered the agency not to remove the logo from state roads, saying it represents a historical event and is a point of pride for Las Cruces residents."
Read the rest of the article...
posted by Lil' Mermaid | 9:30 AM
1 Comments:
Good post, my brother.
You probably are aware that Dennis Prager and other citizens are fighting against similar agitation in La Ciudad de Los Angeles, whose logo also has, traditionally featured a cross, symbolizing the missiones Catolicos which founded our blessed city.
The interesting thing about this lesser jihad against Christianity is that it is being fought on battlefronts that we don't often pay attention to. But, these battlefronts are foundational, and I, and many citizens, are only now awakening to find them so.
Thanks for making me aware of this battle.
Post a Comment
<< Home