Church Accuses Veterans Group of Deception and Betrayal

This email just in from the Thomas More Law Center:

Church Accuses Veterans Group of Deception and Betrayal Over Mt. Soledad Cross – Law Center Vows to Keep Fighting

RANCHO SANTA FE, CA — In a bombshell revelation, the pastor of Mount Soledad Presbyterian Church has accused the Mount Soledad Memorial Association of deception and betrayal in the campaign to save the Mt Soledad Cross, and rescinded the offer to explore the possibility of placing the cross on church property.

In a letter to the Memorial Association’s president Bill Kellogg dated November 8th, Pastor Mark Slomka wrote, “We never anticipated that the Memorial Association would surrender the cross by actively campaigning against the only ballot measure that might protect it. We are disappointed that the Memorial Association, whose responsibility it was to guard the cross, chose to ally themselves with those (ACLU and plaintiff) whose intent has always been to remove the cross so that together they might defeat Proposition K.”

The Mount Soledad Memorial Association’s active campaign against Proposition K was responsible for a great deal of voter confusion. The failed ballot measure would have authorized the City of San Diego to sell the land surrounding the historic 43-foot tall Mt. Soledad cross, allowing the cross and memorial to remain while bringing to an end to the fifteen year court battle waged by atheist Phillip Paulsen to have the cross removed.

Instead, the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association urged voters to vote against Proposition K, concealing the private agreement they had struck with atheist Phillip Paulsen to have the cross moved in return for a dismissal of the lawsuit against them and allowing them to keep the property. However, prior to the November 2nd vote, Federal District Judge Gordon Thompson ruled that the Memorial Association was not the rightful owner of the property, and returned the property to the City of San Diego. Without authorization from the voters to sell the land, the City of San Diego will now be forced to act on a court order to take down the 50-year old landmark.

Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Law Center, which fought to preserve the cross on Mount Soledad, commented, “ We will continue to explore all options to preserve the cross on top of Mount Soledad where it has stood for fifty years.” One option involves the designation of Mt. Soledad as a national historical park/landmark. Charles LiMandri, the West Coast Regional Director of the Law Center has asked Reps. Randy Cunningham, Duncan Hunter and Darrell Issa to look into the issue, and the Law Center is urging citizens to contact their legislators to have the cross protected.

LiMandri commented Thursday, “We continue to receive calls from citizens outraged by the orchestrated deception to remove the cross. Aside from the fraud perpetrated on voters, the veterans and donors to the Mt. Soledad Association have been utterly ignored. These people were promised that the cross would stay, and yet their own leadership has abandoned them. Time is short, but we will do everything we can to protect this historic landmark.”

The cross was erected in 1954 and today honors veterans of World War I and II and the Korean War. The San Diego landmark was challenged in 1989 by atheist Phillip Paulsen prompting a federal judge to declare the cross unconstitutional. In response, the City chose to place the property up for public sale, a decision approved by 76 percent of the voters in 1992. The sale of the property however was ruled unconstitutional after atheist Paulson objected because he believed the sale indirectly aided preserving the cross.

The City of San Diego attempted a second time to sell the property in 1998, this time to the Mt. Soledad Memorial Association. This second sale was also successfully challenged, however not before the Memorial Association made significant improvements to the land including the addition of over 3000 donated plaques honoring military veterans.

Earlier this year, believing they were the rightful owners of the property, the Association privately agreed to move the cross in exchange for an end to the lawsuit and a waiver of attorney fees for which the Association may become liable.

Paulsen’s attorney now will likely demand hundreds of thousands of dollars from the City of San Diego for his work to remove the cross.