Plaintiff in cross case dies, but challenge in Calif. will go on.Philip K. Paulson Philip Kevin Paulson (1947-2006) was the lead plaintiff in a series of law suits to remove a Christian cross from a prominent summit in the city of San Diego. He spent seventeen years, starting with a pro se action against the city, then as lead plaintiff, in multiple successful , a Vietnam veteran This article is about veterans of the Vietnam War. For the French psychedelic musical group, see Vietnam Veterans. Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. who led a spirited 17-year legal battle to remove a towering cross from government land in San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. , died Oct. 25 at age 59. Paulson, whose case generated significant controversy and even congressional intervention, was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer Liver Cancer Definition Liver cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer but has a high mortality rate. Liver cancers can be classified into two types. in July. His doctors said he had about four months to live. Although Paulson won a series of court victories over the long life of the case, government officials kept finding new ways to keep the legal action going. Earlier this year, Congress stepped in, passing a law transferring the land the Mount Soledad Mount Soledad is a prominent landmark in the city of San Diego, California, United States. The mountaintop is the site of the "Mount Soledad cross", the subject of a continuing controversy over the involvement of religion in government. Cross sits on to the federal government. The measure officially declared the structure a war memorial. President George W. Bush promptly signed it into law. Prior to the federal action, other government officials had insisted that the 29-foot-tall Latin cross is a war memorial. Paulson, an atheist ATHEIST. One who denies the existence of God. 2. As atheists have not any religion that can bind their consciences to speak the truth, they are excluded from being witnesses. Bull. N. P. 292; 1 Atk. 40; Gilb. Ev. 129; 1 Phil. Ev. 19. See also, Co. Litt. 6 b. , contended that the cross did not memorialize me·mo·ri·al·ize tr.v. me·mo·ri·al·ized, me·mo·ri·al·iz·ing, me·mo·ri·al·iz·es 1. To provide a memorial for; commemorate. 2. To present a memorial to; petition. him and other non-Christians. The cross was almost removed this summer after a local church agreed to take the structure. Government officials were discussing the possibility of moving it when Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, acting on a request for an emergency injunction, granted the Christian symbol a reprieve. Kennedy indicated that the full high court might want to take up the case. Even with Paulson's death, the case will continue. After his diagnosis, Paulson arranged for another plaintiff, Steve Trunk, to become lead plaintiff. Asked about Paulson's legacy by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Trunk replied, "Whether walking point in a Vietnamese jungle, defending a woman's right to choose or exercising his duty as a citizen forcing the government to honor the Constitution, Phil personified what it means to be an American. I am honored and humbled to have known him." In a recent interview, Paulson explained why he took on the battle. "The real message is equal treatment under the law, and religious neutrality," he said. "That's the purpose of why I did it. It has nothing to do with me being an atheist or whether I was a Bible-thumping fundamentalist Baptist preacher." Earlier this year, Paulson received an award from the San Diego Chapter of Americans United in recognition of his efforts to defend church-state separation. |
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