County Seal Culture Clash

Re two opinions on the Los Angeles County seal, “A Jew Fights for the Cross” by Dennis Prager, and “Seriously Folks, This Is Not a Laughing Matter” by Ramona Ripston, Nov. 14 : As a Christian, I am honored that Prager, a Jew, would come to the defense of keeping a historical symbol, which also happens to be a religious one, on the county seal. On the other hand, Ripston’s cry of defending the rights of all people who might be offended by wearing or seeing such a symbol based on her interpretation of the principle of separation of church and state rings hollow, at least to me.

If she really wanted to remove all religious symbols from the county seal, then why didn’t she call for the removal of the pagan goddess figure too? After all, paganism was and still is a religion. It appears to me that Ripston is concerned only about removing Christian symbols of religion. That sounds a lot like anti-Christian bigotry to me.

Paul Kelly

Costa Mesa

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As a Jewish county employee, I feel far more qualified than Ripston to speak on the state of mind of “county employees of faith other than those represented by the cross yet required to wear that symbol on their clothing.”

I am not wearing or carrying a cross; I am wearing or carrying a county seal with a minuscule cross denoting an aspect of the county’s history. It is a nonissue issue -- or was until the ACLU took it on. Has the ACLU nothing more important to do? The county seal on my business cards never caused me distress. In fact, I look forward to seeing this seal twice monthly on my paychecks!

What would make it no laughing matter is if the county found it necessary to eliminate positions or demote pay steps to pay for the unrequested and misguided actions of the ACLU.

Susan Shain

Los Angeles

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Please be assured that Prager does not speak for all Jews. As a Jew, I find many of his comments about how tolerant Christians are toward non-Christians and Jews to be reprehensible. A great deal of research has documented the intolerance, bigotry and fanaticism demonstrated by many of the ultra-right evangelical Christians, and Prager’s generalizations about the left do not enhance understanding and communication between the liberals and conservatives.

As a liberal and a person of faith, I am committed to social justice issues, caring for the sick and the poor and the separation of the church and state. It is unfortunate that Prager repeatedly fails to understand this.

Marcia Albert

Los Angeles

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I agree with Prager: Changing history is dangerous, damaging and robs us of our past. And as our past is a guide to the future, it robs us of our future too. Though I deplore some of the history of our state, I cannot, and will not, deny its existence. The missions joined segments of the state together, and it is fitting to have that beginning represented on our county seal by the cross.

Sue Alexander

West Hills

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The county and the country would both be better off if we’d kept the cross and gotten rid of the ACLU.

Ron Lutey

Camarillo

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In his article, Prager sets up the competing philosophical issues we find in many church/state constitutional debates. Whether the cross appearing on the seal of the County of Los Angeles is an impermissible intermingling of religious symbolism and governmental imprimatur, or whether the cross is merely an acknowledgment of historical fact, is an excellent dialogue in which to engage.

However, his attempt to justify his position, delegitimize an important debate and belittle his opponents as a “fringe group” simply because the majority of the electorate may agree with him egregiously misses the point.

The Bill of Rights protects the interests of the minority. It is the essence of a free, democratic society. For that reason, judges and lawyers swear to uphold the Constitution, not the popular will.

It matters not whether more of us agree or disagree. The protection of the Bill of Rights is not, and can never be, dependent on the will of the majority.

David A. Lash

Los Angeles