Why fight for the right to remove religious symbols like crosses from a cemetary for veterans?
In order to comply with the 1st Amendment, which gives religious freedom for *all,* then you either have to accommodate *all* religions or none at all. So far as I know, no one is trying to get rid of any veteran’s crosses. I do, however, know of quite a few cases in which various “not-so-popular” religions were denied the symbols of their faith, most recently the Wiccans, who waited for 10 years to get a pentacle approved as a symbol while other religions were being approved without issue. Even the atheists have a symbol through the VA should they choose to use it. Religions that the majority religion doesn’t like get trampled on, and last I checked that’s NOT what this country was supposed to be about. I support religious freedom for *all* and, unlike way too many, I realize that also includes the right not to believe or have another’s religion forced on you.
People should be allowed to be buried with whatever belief system they had in life represented on their tombstone. The armed forces shouldn’t sponsor any religious symbols, as its an arm of the federal government and would constitute endorsement of said religion. If private individuals want to put religious memorials up, then I guess they should be able to, but then everyone can put up a memorial for their own religion. So if a Satanist soldier’s family wants to put up a giant memorial with the Sigil of Baphomet, they should have as much right as a Christian family putting up a cross for their fallen loved one.
