NPR: Court rules for Utah city in religious marker case

[beam me up scottie]

NPR
from The Associated Press
WASHINGTON February 25, 2009, 11:00 am ET ·

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Wednesday that a small religious group cannot force a city in Utah to place a granite marker in a local park that already is home to a Ten Commandments display.

In a case involving the Salt Lake City-based Summum, the court said that governments can decide what to display in a public park without running afoul of the First Amendment.

Pleasant Grove City, Utah, rejected the group's marker, prompting a federal lawsuit that argued that a city can't allow some private donations of displays in its public park and reject others. The federal appeals court in Denver agreed.

***

But he (Alito) said monuments often convey multiple messages, and cited the Greco-Roman mosaic of the word "imagine" that was donated to New York's Central Park in memory of John Lennon.

Some people may "imagine" the music Lennon would have written if he had not been shot to death near the park, he said. Others may think about the words of Lennon's song of the same name that imagine "a world without religion, countries, possessions, greed or hunger," Alito said in an opinion that also included the song's lyrics.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101138488

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

1. Anyone know what the marker was? nt

[Towlie]

2. Regardless, they need to lose the existing monument, not add another.

I'll bet that small religious group just wanted to make a point.

[beam me up scottie]

6. The irony of including the lyrics to John Lennon's "Imagine" just kills me.

I feel like I need a shower now.

[Supersedeas]

12. the cynical side of Alito in full view

[beam me up scottie]

14. ugh.

I certainly wasn't expecting another Souter but this really chaps my hide.

[beam me up scottie]

3. Yes:

The Summum, a Latin term meaning the sum total of all creation, wants to erect its "Seven Aphorisms of Summum" monument in the city's Pioneer Park. The group, formed in 1975, says the Seven Aphorisms were given to Moses on Mount Sinai along with the Ten Commandments. Moses destroyed the tablet containing the aphorisms because he saw the people weren't ready for them, the Summum say.

The Ten Commandments marker has stood in the park for nearly 50 years. It was erected by the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

[Deep13]

10. Sounds like a case in Toledo.

About 50 years ago, Paramount donated small 10 commandment stones to a variety of localities to promote it's movie The Ten Commandments. The court ruled that it was not an establishment violation because it was not actually erected by the city.

[beam me up scottie]

15. But that doesn't count, it's an advertisement!

I expect this shit down here in the buy-bull belt but it looks like the whole country is going to have to deal with it now.

[whoneedstickets]

4. The RW is prepared to destroy the logic of Law...

..to perpetuate their religious ideology.

[beam me up scottie]

5. Dubya's gift to the nation just keeps on giving.

Fasten your seat belts, folks, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

[Goblinmonger]

7. So everyone says I'm crazy when I talk about creeping theocracy

but here it is folks.

Sure glad the senate Dems kept the powder dry and didn't try harder to keep Alito off the bench.

[foxfeet]

8. With this decision from SCOTUS, "creeping theocracy" has been officially upgraded

to slithering theocracy.

[Goblinmonger]

11. And it's only going to get worse

before it gets better. None of the conservative justices look to be leaving anytime soon.

[beam me up scottie]

13. sigh...

There's always Canada.

[CreekDog]

9. Ah, Pleasant Grove, UT, that brings back memories

:puke:

[beam me up scottie]

16. I'll bet it wasn't very pleasant.

Or even a grove.

[NMMNG]

17. Yeah

Only certain religions can plant their giant granite monuments on public land. All others have to suck it up because we have the "Separation of Church and State" thingy, ya know. :sarcasm:

[Zhade]

18. A complete violation of the Constitution, of course.

Good to see ya about the place, BMUS.