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Seal Clubbing
LAist has been struggling to find a sense of perspective from which to view the recent fracas over the religious icon (formerly) contained within the L.A. County seal. The ACLU objects to the small cross on this civic symbol, claiming that it's an "impermissible endorsement of Christianity."The issue has degenerated into an all-out culture war fiesta. The ACLU seems to have had a strong legal case for their complaint, as the County board caved quickly on a 3-2 vote. The cross had been a part of the seal since 1957.
Supervisor Mike Antonovich responded by vocally launching a petition drive to reverse the county board's decision. With everybody playing their political roles to a T, LAist yearns for the leadership of yesteryear. The Times reports that in 1957, Supervisor Kenneth Hahn said that the cross symbolizes "the religious life of the county." To us, that sounds..... perfectly reasonable!
If the ACLU is diverting their resources to fight this War On Symbology away from, say, opposition to the Patriot Act, their heads just aren't in the game. If they're determined to convince the religious that secular people are out to get them, though, they're doing a fantastic job. In the end, that's the only thing that's accomplished through this kind of aggressive nitpicking.
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Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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