Washington D.C., Jul 18, 2018 / 14:00 pm
A petition has been submitted to the United States Supreme Court as part of an appeal to prevent the destruction of the Peace Cross, a 93-year-old war memorial because it is in the shape of a cross.
The petition was filed by Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, following a ruling by the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in October 2017 that declared the monument unconstitutional.
The cross, erected in 1925 by the mothers of fallen World War I servicemen, is located in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside of Washington, D.C. It bears a plaque listing the names of 49 residents of Prince George's County who lost their lives serving in that war. The seal of the American Legion is prominently displayed at the center of the cross. The sides of the cross are inscribed with the words "valor," "endurance," "courage," and "devotion."
The monument was the subject of a 2014 lawsuit brought by the American Humanist League. The suit was originally rejected by the District Court, which held that it was "uncontroverted" that the maintenance and display of the memorial was not "driven by a religious purpose whatsoever."