The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this week on the fate of the "Peace Cross," a World War I memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland that some say violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause. The case could impact memorials nationwide. (Feb. 25) AP WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a gigantic Latin cross on government land in Bladensburg, Maryland, does not have to be moved or altered in the name of church-state separation. The justices reasoned that the 40-foot cross was erected nearly a century ago as a World War I memorial , not an endorsement of Christianity. Although their verdict could extend to other existing monuments, it does not offer a blank check to new ones. The opinion by Associate Justice Samuel Alito concluded that the display does not violate the Constitution’s establishment clause because of its longevity and multiple messages. The vote was 7-2; Associate Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor dissented. Supreme Court guide: See how the justices stand on the most important cases of the year. "The cross is undoubtedly a Christian symbol, but that fact should not blind us to everything else that the Bladensburg Cross has come to represent," Alito said. […]
