Edited Date/Time
5/19/2017 9:06pm
For those of you unfamiliar with the cross by the airport at the Ocotillo Wells State Off Highway Recreational Area, here's some facts about it. It's a memorial for someone, sorry to say I don't know who. It's been there since the late 60's according to the older guys, so call it close to 50 years. It's been there long before the area was an official "Off Highway Recreational Area" It was put in when it was "The middle nowhere". It's been a landmark/meeting place since I've been going out there (1978). In January of this year ONE person made a complaint that they found the cross "offensive" Whoever the powers that be are, are going to have it taken down, based on ONE FUCKING COMPLAINT ! One, uno, singular, like in 1 fucking person. I have learned that good ol' Ca. has a law on the books that says if ONE person complains about a "Religious Symbol" on gov't/state land that it needs to be taken down. One complaint, doesn't matter who from, some goat fucking muzzie who just got off the plane, some atheist whacko nutjob, could be some drunk housewife who doesn't even remember making the call. The fact is one person complained, and it's coming down. Never mind the hundreds of people writing letters and organizing efforts to keep it, it's coming down. Based on ONE complaint. By the way I'm not a super religious guy, in fact this kind of nonsense makes me thing all religious people are freakin whackjobs. Anyway I know a lot of you will say "That's Ca. for ya", It didn't used to be such an effed up place, and there's a lot of normal people here still believe it or not. I don't know how the people in charge around here got so effen brainwashed that they would make a law where ONE complaint can get something removed. ONE guy is not a legitimate complaint, come back with 100 signatures and we'll talk. ONE complaint and it's gone...... thoughts ?
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Problem solved.
I guess it doesnt matter the the citizens of ocotillo wells put that cross there to honor the late Elmo Robinson , Deputy sherriff of San Diego county , in honor of his and Nancy's son , who was MIA in Vietnam , and never found , as long as the asshole who complained gets what they want .
Head out there with a sawzall and cut them arms off the cross. Next, drop a 20' steel tube inside that one(it looks like steel), weld it up and fly a big American flag from it. See how they like that.
Anyway, there's no fighting that garbage. The same situation happened here 20 years ago and the 9th Federal Jerkit court ruled it be removed even after it was dedicated as a war memorial. It was replaced by a flag. Here's that story:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinner_Butte#Cross_controversy
I'm not particularly religious myself but I know BS when I see it.
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."
seriously, who gets offended about a cross? if i ever heard any of my friends talking about how offended they are about something enough to complain publicly, then i'm fucking out. no more friendship with me bro.
Does that apply to public land?
I understand it to saying that you can practice, pray, promote, denounce, etc. any religion in a public space but you can't leave behind physical representations of said religions. I personally don't give a shit if it's there (the cross – not the memorial) but I do understand why the law is the way it is.
From that viewpoint, you could say that since the cross is erected on State / public land managed by a federal entity, that it represents an endorsement of Christianity. (I disagree; it's more like a tombstone.)
Anyway, I can imagine a couple possible solutions. None are better than leaving the thing right where it is, but perhaps it can be changed to a tombstone and a monument to the deputy's son. Or perhaps it can be moved to someone's private property nearby (there's lots of it around.)
As for Ocotillo Wells as a riding area, I will ride there even after we "can't." You with me, Sumdood?
Pit Row
I saw this thread made it onto the face book page where it's being discussed.
Happy Holidays!
I do miss my old state (visited two weeks ago) but that place is ridiculous now.
We would have to remove a bunch of beautiful artwork that was here long before the snowflakes arrived.
Im with Borg,
Not a religious guy but this crap (victim-ism) has got to stop.
Because of how long it's been there you could file to get it recorded as a state or federal landmark. But being in California that's probably a lot of work dealing with red tape.
They had just gone through a period in which many of them had been burned at the stake at the order of the King of England, for attempting to worship God freely.
However, we are living in different times now and a strict application of the law would not work today for various reasons,which I won't go into here. Nevertheless it seems we are headed in a completely opposite direction from what our founders intended. The law is now more often applied in a manner which places the state as the ultimate authority.
This is what it really comes down to, as a country do we ultimately trust in God or Government? You really can't have it both ways, which is what we tried to do for so long, but are now moving past. It seems many are ready to make that choice now.
http://discovermagazine.com/~/media/import/images/2/2/b/graffiti1.jpg?m…
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