The following comes from an April 7 Buzzfeed article by Claudia Koerner:
Los Angeles County violated the California constitution when it added a Christian cross to the official seal in 2014, a federal judge has ruled, dismissing arguments that the change was to promote historical accuracy.
The ruling means the county will have to go back to an older version of the seal that does not include the cross, though still features a Spanish mission as a nod to the region’s Catholic roots.
Wednesday’s ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed over the cross by Episcopalian, Jewish, and Muslim leaders in 2014 following a series of contentious public meetings in which they argued the cross illegally favored Christianity.
Several versions of the county seal have existed over the years, some with a cross and some without. The oldest version dates to 1887, when the area was primarily agricultural, and features a bunch of grapes.
The modern seal’s design traces to 1957, when a cross was depicted floating over a stylized version of the Hollywood Bowl. Other icons within the seal included Pomona, goddess of gardens and fruit trees, a Spanish galleon, a tuna, a cow, engineering instruments, and oil derricks.
But in 2004, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter to the county contending the cross symbolized an “impermissible endorsement of Christianity by the county.”
County officials decided to negotiate, and meetings were held to get the public’s input on a new design. Christian residents at the time said the redesign was an attack on their faith. One supervisor characterized it as a “religious frenzy” akin to an inquisition. Other county leaders, however, said the 1957 seal reflected the local history.
Ultimately, the Roman goddess in the seal was replaced with an indigenous woman, the cross was removed, but a depiction of the San Gabriel mission was added. At the time, there was no cross on the mission — it had been lost in an earthquake retrofit.
In 2009, a cross was again placed on the roof of the mission. By 2013, some county supervisors said a cross should be added to the seal to be “aesthetically and architecturally accurate.”
The board eventually voted to add the cross to the seal 3-2. Weeks later, the ACLU and faith leaders filed suit.
“The court emphasizes that this case does not simply involve a government entity’s continued use of a longstanding symbol or display containing a Latin cross. Rather, plaintiffs challenge the County’s decision to add a cross to a county seal that…had contained no sectarian symbols for nearly a decade,” the judge said.
Such a Dismal ‘profession’ is the Law – and diminished greatly by the passing of Justice Scalia, who doubtless would have made short work of this ruling.
But then Lawyers are the only ones who sit in judgment (*at least here on earth) of their own kind. Every Judge started as a Lawyer, and tend to be more sympathetic towards their own ilk than outsiders,
SEE
Mental health crises plague attorneys along with alcohol abuse
https://calbarjournal.com/March2016/TopHeadlines/TH1.aspx
A far-reaching study conducted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association indicates that as many as one out of three lawyers is a problem drinker and one out of four has some form of depression or anxiety…
-rates much…
how could they not notice that pomona the goddess was also ‘endorsing a religion’? throughout human history people have expressed their beliefs through the best artists of their era. these art forms are a cultural legacy that reveal are the best time capsules to speak to another age. proper strict enforcement of this sort will eventually rule that cities and counties empty their egyptology wings lest Ra worship be endorsed, and so on.
What the lawsuit should have demanded is that the name of the city, “Los Angeles,” is a violation and must be changed. In fact, they should have made the city and county change the name of every street sign, park, school, city, public structure, and all public references to any saint and the Catholic Church. No more Santa Ana, Santa Monica, San Bernardino, San Clemente, San Gabriel, San Pedro, and all the rest. They want to play that game? Fine, let’s go all the way!
“Gravey”…you are the kind of person that America truly needs in these troubling times!
A very quick thinker, and also to reply with an excellent answer that will surely rock the State of California.
The Judge’s Decision MUST be appealed! The cross was obviously an integral part of the Catholic Constructed School, therefore, a true replication of the school MUST INCLUDE the cross on the top of the building.
You should have been the Lawyer defending the inclusion of the cross. One could even argue that it was a Roman Cross used to punish some of their citizens.
What could happen if the Judge’s ridiculous decision was ignored?
Can a petition be circulated to RECALL the Judge? If so, Start the Petition!
Where are the Latino city lawmakers on this Roman Catholic are they not??? Los Angeles is a Latino and majority Catholic city yet they take the cross away, as not to offend Jews, Muslims, atheists, my friend of 25 years is a Jew and cannot believe this, he said it would be like Tel Aviv taking down the Star of David from all city buildings and offices there. And by the way can you imagine if it was a star and crescent of Islam and was asked to take it down the ACLU and Hamas supported CAIR would be up in arms. Sharia is coming folks Europe has it already thanks in part to Pope Francis.
I am a strict vegan. The depiction of a fish and a cow deeply offends me.
I only go to Dodger Stadium. The depiction of the Hollywood Bowl, albeit highly stylized, deeply offends me. Justice for vegan Dodger fans!
Anne O. Nymous — You have spoken…and you are not a bigot!
You have not demanded that the cross be removed, so must be prepared to have the cross remain as it was on the original construction of the school building?
You also, have not requested or demanded that the fish, cow, Hollywood Bowl, and once again are not a bigot.
Congratulations to you.for supporting the cross as a vegan!!!
ACLU = A Curse Like Ultraism
The ACLU have too much money & time. What else do they do but well, nothing of importance? Is there little museum filled with the crosses they have ‘undone’?