Court of Appeals Considers Evansville Riverfront Cross Display

Last July U. S. District Court judge Sarah Evans Barker ruled against a display of 31 crosses on Evansville's Riverfront. While I think that she was wrong, I also think it's wrong to continue to pour money into legal appeals.

Recently both sides presented arguments before the U. S. Court of Appeals in Chicago. The three judge panel isn't sure if they jurisdiction because the original defendant (the City of Evansville) is not appealing, but the church (West Side Christian Church) is.

Where I think that the original ruling went wrong is that she said that the display was too much and a lesser display may be constitutional. She stopped short of stating what is acceptable.

Instead of spending legal fees on appeals, the church would be better served to lobby the city council to establish a set of rules for use of public land (I am shocked that this doesn't already exist) and work within the city's guidelines.

In the meantime, it is rumored that the ACLU is asking that the word cross be stricken from the English language. No more crossed legs, crossed eyes, crossword puzzles, or railroad crossings.