ACLU - Katrina Memorial... What do we know?

[Kittycat]

What's the scoop on this? It came up on my parenting board and the wingnuts are all bashing ACLU for it. The story doesn't give much detail, except that it's a privately funded monument on private land, but near a public waterway.

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20060806-033447-7946r.htm

[Swamp Rat]

1. Moonie Times

That's all I need to know.

[Kittycat]

2. Well, Duh - but...

That's why I'm trying to find out more. Besides the article being vague, what's the truth (or fiction) behind it all.

And can I just add... WTF is up with all these uneducated, stay at home, repuke women (poor kids). I swear to the FSM that I'm one of 3 liberal/democrats on a board with 1000's of idiots that begin having children when their 17 and don't stop until their uteris' fall out (brains already missing). Yesterday I got blasted for putting an anti-bush t-shirt on my 2.5 year old, because afterall... He could grow up to be a republican, LOL. Sorry, had a rant a moment.

[Swamp Rat]

6. LOL! Good rant!

Rant as much as you want... while we still have freedom of speech.

[Nikki Stone 1]

20. Swamp Rat., just interrupting this thread to say I like "One Nation Under

Surveillance". Great gif!

[Suich]

3. If the article is factually correct,

I don't see a problem. Considering the source, though, there is probably more to it.

:hi:

[LA lady]

4. The ACLU will lose on this one

If they don't lose in court, the public relations will hurt. The memorial is WILDLY popular here, it is on private land paid for privately.

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1154844074102520.xml&coll=1

Alarmed by newspaper reports that a hurricane memorial in St. Bernard Parish will feature a cross bearing a likeness of the face of Jesus, the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana is reminding parish officials of the Constitution's separation of church and state.

Never one to back down, Parish President Henry "Junior" Rodriguez has a simple reply: "They can kiss my ass."


The cross and accompanying monument listing the names of the 129 parish residents who died in Hurricane Katrina are earmarked for what the parish says is private land and are being financed with donations, Rodriguez said

"The memorial is being coordinated by a group of volunteers on their own time, and no public money is going to the project that will be on private land," Reppel said. "The committee members are all volunteers, including me. We are putting in a lot of unpaid overtime."

[Kittycat]

5. Why on earth...

Would they get involved in something like this? It seems cut and dry. Private Land, Private Donations, and it's in rememberance of Parish members?!?!?

[alfredo]

8. I can see them raising concerns if it was on public lands

and funded by public money. Most likely the ACLU was checking to see if it was on public lands and using public money. Of course there's a chance this incident never happened and was dreamed up by the promoters as a way to up donations.

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Yes on both

Read the link.

[alfredo]

15. I guess sanctioning by the council makes it a separation

issue. If it was just OK'ing a building permit, I don't see a problem. We don't know what the ACLU knows, so I guess we have to see exactly what they have found. Public money may have been laundered through individuals. We don't know.

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. They must have some fairly strong evidence

[alfredo]

21. It's really tough to go up against such things. They've

got more balls than I.

[LA lady]

12. I think it's cause it's viewable everywhere

No, it is all over the news here. I have seen the Cross on TV. It's stainless steel and he is putting a kind of interesting concept of Jesus' face on it. People forget what a huge percentage of the people here are very religious.

[alfredo]

16. We all know that, but that doesn't mean they can ignore

our constitution. Last I heard, louisiana is part of the USA. I can understand the ACLU being concerned because of the anti democratic forces of the Evangelical right.

[LA lady]

13. this is Louisiana

No public money tho and the land is private, it fronts on a public waterway.

I am telling you, it is a losing battle for the ACLU.

[3dman]

7. I think this one

falls under the rubric of picking ones battles carefully.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Wow it was fairly easy to find the answer

From the article:

The 13-foot memorial to 129 Katrina victims in St. Bernard Parish has government support and is set to be located at a public waterway

[Kittycat]

17. At a public waterway, but ON private land eom

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. I trust the ACLU

I don't think they would take a case on if it was not truly a constitutional violation.

[applegrove]

11. Should there not be a memorial somewhere on the mall in Washington?

I mean so politicians remember? The horror... of shoe-shopping and vacations... while a city sinks and 100,000a are traumatized?

[RB TexLa]

14. Don't need anymore details, private funds private land

As long as it's not obscene they can put whatever they want. Seems to me if I want to put something up on my property that would be part of my civil liberties.