Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial With Cross On Public Land Ruled Constitutional by U.S. Federal Court

Mount Soledad is a wonderfully beautiful area in San Diego, located just south of La Jolla.

From there you have breathtaking blue water ocean views up and down the Pacific coastline. You can see toward the south, Coronado Island and beyond, to the north for miles of coastline toward Camp Pendleton.

The Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial was erected there after World War I with the mission to preserve the public site and honor those veterans and active military who have served our country during times of conflict. Also to educate the public about armed service and sacrifices that veterans made and make to preserve the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

The original cross part of the memorial was erected in 1913 and replaced over the years when damaged. The current concrete cross is the centerpiece of the Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial, surrounded by six concentric walls of granite plaques honoring war veterans.

The current 29-foot concrete cross was erected by the Mount Soledad Memorial Association in 1954 to honor Korean War veterans.
A lawsuit had been filed by the American Civil Liberties Union in the 1980s and sought to remove the cross. The plaintiff was an atheist who argued that the cross was a religious symbol and that its display on public land was unconstitutional.

The U.S. Federal Court, San Diego district, ruled on July 29, 2008, that this cross memorializes war veterans and does not violate the separation of Church and State.
The court decision on July 29, 2008, by U.S. District Judge Larry Alan Burns resolved the 20-year legal controversy, which has been visited by both the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Congress.

Judge Burns ruled that the memorial cross held more secular value in its message to honor war veterans than religious significance. "The court finds the memorial at Mt. Soledad, including its Latin cross, communicates the primarily non-religious messages of military service, death, and sacrifice," Burns wrote. "As such, despite its location on public land, the memorial is constitutional."

Supporters of the monument had fought for the cross to be recognized for its historic significance. In 2006 a federal judge ruled in favor of the cross's removal. However, the U.S. The Supreme Court blocked the ruling and allowed Congress time to transfer the cross to Federal ownership under a law signed by President Bush in August, 2007.

Judge Burns noted that the cross is also displayed "along with numerous purely secular symbols in an overall context that reinforces its secular message."
This beautiful memorial is about honoring veterans of the U.S. Armed Services, and we support the federal court's decision is correct.

My wife and I have family member war veterans who are proudly memorialized there with thousands of others.

Posted by Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, August 1, 2008
Source: Christian Post Reporter, July 31, 2008

DISNEYLAND Fireworks Every Night

Disneyland Fireworks can be heard nightly here in Southern California. That's a good thing and helps us be taken away in our thoughts of fun and interesting times with family and friends.

My wife Christi and I live at our home in the Turtle Rock area of Irvine, South Orange County, California, about 15 miles south of Anaheim and Disneyland.

It's a beautiful time of year here. We experience some of the best weather in the world with warm sunshine during summer days and ocean breezes at night.

While writing a note here at my desk at home, I feel a bit of the pacific ocean sea breeze washing through our neighborhood. Disneyland fireworks are going off in the distance. Hearing them each night at about 9:35 PM is fun.

We are blessed to have a home and live in such a place. The comfort of our weather and variety of coastal lands some reasons why so many folks want to move and live here in South OC.

Disneyland fireworks seem to be part of that too.

Posted by Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, Coldwell Banker Previews. June 27, 2008.

U.S. Congress Should Work To Improve Our Domestic Oil Supply & Get Decreased Prices at the Gas Pump

This gasoline price at the PUMP CRUNCH is rough for all of us. Supply has not kept pace with demand, and so prices rise.

Many of steps taken in the U.S. for reduction of demand are being negated by increased demands for oil in foreign countries including India and China.

The best step we can take to decrease prices is to INCREASE SUPPLIES of oil here in the U.S.

U.S. Congress and Senate (both controlled by Democrats) has instead proposed legislation that would allow the U.S. to sue OPEC for suppressing oil production.

What?

We criticize other countries for curbing their oil production, and at the same time close off areas here in the U.S. known to have oil reserves and natural gas.

China is now working with Cuba to drill for oil 60 miles off the coast of Florida.

Meanwhile our Congress does nothing to increase our production and explore other U.S. oil resources.

On June 11, 2008, the U.S. Senate appropriations committee (controlled by Democrats) refused to consider a bill to allow exploration and drilling for oil by U.S. companies in international waters. Does that make sense?

We have advanced exploration technology available to allow development of oil in an environmentally-sensitive way while protecting surrounding habitats and wildlife.

Our U.S. Congress waits.

It is estimated that exploring a mere 2,000 acres of frozen tundra in the 1.5 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) could produce 10.4 billion barrels of oil. It is also estimated that offshore drilling would yield 86 billion barrels of oil and large quantities of natural gas.

In the long term, we must find and develop alternative energy sources here in the U.S. and be less dependent on oil.

During the short-term, developing our own domestic sources of oil should take priority.

Our U.S. Congress with Republicans and Democrats working together should legislate for real solutions to increasE oil production, provide more oil for us and get gasoline prices down at the pump.

Posted by Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, June 11, 2008
Source: Ken Calvert, U.S. Congress Representative, 44th District from California

City of Mission Viejo Patriotic Decision about "In God We Trust"

The Mission Viejo, California, City Council on April 21, 2008, joined a growing list of cities in OC adopting the national motto “In God We Trust” after unanimously deciding to display it. This is the fourth Orange County city to follow the trend to post the display in council chambers. Mission Viejo joins San Clemente, Cypress, and Westminster in displaying “In God We Trust.” Villa Park, Tustin and Huntington Beach are considering the issue. Other California cities that have adopted the motto are Artesia, Hawthorne, Carson, Paso Robles, Oceanside, Victorville, Compton and Bakersfield.
We believe this is patriotic and a good thing.
Posted by Harrison K. Long, Explore Properties Group, April 22, 2008