American Legion Seeks To Defend War Memorial Cross
BLADENSBURG, Md. (AP) -- The American Legion is seeking to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of a cross-shaped World War I memorial in Maryland.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this year by the American Humanist Association, a group that advocates for atheists and others who do not believe in a deity. It says the display of the cross by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission amounts to government sponsorship of religion and violates the First Amendment.
The Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial was erected by the American Legion, a group founded by veterans of that war. It was dedicated in 1925.
On Thursday, the Liberty Institute filed papers in federal court asking a judge to allow the American Legion to join the lawsuit so it can defend the memorial.
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