Values Voter Bus Stops at Utah Cross Facing Court Ordered Removal

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Family Research Council Action's (FRC Action) Values Voter Bus stopped in Murray, Utah, to express great disappointment in the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to let stand a Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals decision to remove the 14 crosses bearing the names of fallen Utah state troopers that have been placed at roadside locations. In addition to Utah, the cross removal order will affect five other states including Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Wyoming.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080930/FRCLOGO)

Congressional candidate Carl Wimmer also spoke at the event.

FRC Action Senior Vice President Tom McClusky made the following comments at today's stop:

"Law enforcement officers who make the ultimate sacrifice are worthy of every memorial that Americans can conceive of to honor their memory, honor their sacrifice and comfort their families. The Constitution is not an impediment to the government accommodating these memorials.

"The outcome of this case thus far demonstrates how far our understanding of the Establishment Clause has fallen from its original meaning. The Founding Fathers erected numerous monuments and memorials of this nature. They obviously didn't see their Bill of Rights as a barrier to these memorials.

"We need serious scholarship and litigation to give the courts the opportunity to clarify this area of the law that has been so clearly turned on its head. 

"We are calling on Congress to move forward with a resolution stating its support for memorials that honor the memory and sacrifice of those in uniform.

"Today, we are launching a petition effort urging the Courts and Congress to support these memorials and recognize the fact that the U.S. Constitution in no way prevents the government from accommodating memorials that have been erected since our nation's founding," McClusky concluded.

Last month, the "Values Voter Bus Tour" kicked off at the Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. which was attended by the major GOP presidential candidates and thousands of values voters.  The Values Voter Bus has since made stops in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Ohio, Texas, Arizona and California.

SOURCE Family Research Council Action