Special Post Concerning; "The Mojave Memorial Cross"

The Mojave Memorial Cross is a cross formerly on public land in the Mojave desert that was at the center of the Salazar v. Buono legal case before the U.S. Supreme Court.^[1][2][3] The original cross was erected in 1934 to honor those killed in war.^[4] The cross has been maintained by volunteers^[5] and was reconstructed after being destroyed.^[5] It was boarded up after lower court rulings declared it illegal because of separation of church and state constitutional concerns.

On April 28, 2010, the US Supreme Court ruled on Salazar v. Buono in a 5-4 decision that the cross may stay. The high court ruled there was no violation of the separation of church and state when Congress transferred the land surrounding the cross to a veteran's group.^[6] Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, "The goal of avoiding governmental endorsement [of religion] does not require eradication of all religious symbols in the public realm".^[7]

As of May 10, 2010, the cross is no longer in place atop Sunrise Rock. It was stolen on the night of May 9–10, 2010.^[8][9][10] National Park Service spokeswoman Linda Slater said a $125,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the thieves. The VFW promised that the memorial will be rebuilt."This was a legal fight that a vandal just made personal to 50 million veterans, military personnel and their families," said National Commander Thomas J. Tradewell.^[11]

Ricky Lee, C.R.I. Trucker 129

This is a friend of mind and a co-worker named Ricky Lee. It's been about four to five years knowing and working with him. He sent me this email and it inspired me to post it on this site and there is another site I want to use it at but I am praying about that first anyhow, here with his permission below is what it said;

I was going through some of my music today. I like a pretty versatile mix and I found a song by George Strait I thought you'd like to hear. In case you don't know of him... he's a country western singer that has put out some pretty good songs. Country western is an interesting style of music in large part.... because the songs tell a story. A lot of the music I enjoy... especially country western.... sings of something I relate to in one way or another. Sometimes these songs sing of God and praise Him also. I think it's just another good way to help people know and understand His existence. I don't think I ever told you but... as you know... I have two daughters... 25 & 26. They were both born a full 3 months premature and in 1984 and 1985 when they were born it was even more serious than it is today. I was by my wife's side for almost 24 hours straight. The whole experience was extremely stressful... all of the doctors making sure they explained to us fully, the seriousness of the situation...so as not to get our hopes up. If I remember correctly their estimates of survival for our baby were less than 30%.

My wife's water had broken much too early and she was in Tacoma General hospital and the doctors hoped that her body would mend it's self enough to allow the baby to stay until close to full term. It wasn't to be but during that almost 24 hours... at some point in the day.... I was taken on a mandatory tour of the premature intensive care ward. They wanted parents to see it so they would understand that if there was any hope for their baby... it was here... in this state of the art facility.

I knew and understood the potentially dire consequences of a birth so premature. Death was the good news... there were many extreme physical handicaps that could, and many times did, befall these premature babies.... leaving them in a life long physically and/or mentally handicapped condition.

Sometime in the early hours of the morning on June 7th the time suddenly came.... the baby was coming whether we liked it or not.

My wife was suddenly the priority and I was not... and I understood that. They pushed me out of the way and brought in a gurney for a high level code transport to the operating room. They only had a short time to allow this baby to live.... if it was to be. Suddenly they were all gone... my wife.... the nurses that had tended to her and the doctors.... and I was alone.

I had been up since 3 a.m. the morning before and with all the stress.... I felt very, very alone. I walked from the room where my wife had been to a waiting room just outside her room. It was there that the seriousness of the whole day and what was to come hit me. I had really never felt anything like this before and I began to pray. As I talked to God I told him that I had never really ever asked him for much.... at least not for me... maybe for others but not for me. This time was different... I asked him for a small favor. I asked him that if it was within his plans to take my child to please do it tonight. I told him this part was for me and explained that I didn't want to know this child only to have it taken from me so soon after.

Suddenly a nurse appeared and asked me if I was the father and I said yes. In a whirlwind of activity she was helping me to put on protective clothing over my own cloths. A shirt, pants, something like a doctors cap and covers for my shoes and she literally dragged me into the operating room.

Within a few short minutes the baby arrived and the first marvel was that she cried. A lot of the time babies this premature don't have the lung capacity to be able to cry but hers was a loud healthy cry... and like that they whisked her away to do all the necessary tests to make sure she was all there. Within an hour I was meeting.. for the first time.... my new baby girl... which we named Tashina. The history of her name is Native American... for Ta-she-na.

The rest... as they say... is history and she grew into a healthy girl... which wasn't without some problems in the beginning. It took her lungs 9 years to completely mature.. a process that is normally completed in the 3rd trimester of the pregnancy. She had no immune system for about the same period of time and the first year of her life she was high risk SIDS. 

This stands for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, commonly known as crib death. For that first year I didn't sleep but I never forgot the favor I asked of God that dark, hopeless night. I knew it was ultimately His decision but I also felt as if He had heard me... and for that I will always be thankful.

The reason I talked of country western and George Strait in the beginning was to give you a perspective of what the song that I'm sending in this email... means to me and why.

It's called "I saw God today" by none other than.... George Strait. As you listen to the words you can hear my story in it. I think you'll like it.

Also included in this email is a picture of that baby girl.... all grown up. I thought you might like to see her too.