June 20, 2019

“In saving the historic Bladensburg Peace Cross from the American Humanists’ bulldozers, the Supreme Court has brought common sense and clarity to this important First Amendment issue: The Constitution does not require eliminating the great symbols of America’s religious pluralism from the public square.” ~ Legal Advisor, Andrea Picciotti-Bayer

“We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the Bladensburg Peace Cross to remain standing. The First Amendment is not a license to raze religious symbols from the public square. As a memorial to those who lost their lives in World War I erected by their mothers, this cross in particular held great historical significance, serving as a “prominent community landmark” as Justice Alito wrote in his opinion. We agree with the Court that to tear it down is “not a neutral act,” but rather the “manifestation of a hostility toward religion that has no place in our Establishment Clause traditions.” This stands in stark contrast with the extreme views of Justices Ginsburg and Sotomayor, who argue that any public cross, and consequently all public displays of religion, violate the First Amendment. Thankfully today their harshly secularist views did not prevail. We hope that today’s ruling is a step forward in the direction of cleaning up decades of bad Establishment Clause jurisprudence that have enabled many state and local governments to use it as a tool of anti-religious discrimination.” ~Ashley McGuire, Senior Fellow