American Atheists—which may have the most self-descriptive name of any organization out there—has launched a lawsuit over the iconic seventeen-foot crossbeam at Ground Zero, saying it should be removed or at least make room for a similar-sized atheist monument. “The overwhelming impression of this cross is religious,” said Edwin Kagin, the national legal director for American Atheists. “We are worried about the alienation being suffered by atheists. This cross screams Christianity, but there were perhaps 500 or 1,000 people who died in this tragedy who were not Christians.”
Museum representative Mark Alcott disagrees, saying that “the curators decided to place this object in the museum because they believe it was an important part of the history of this story. Rescue workers took comfort in this remnant of the building structure and they prayed to it as a religious object.But there is a difference between displaying an artifact of historical significance and saying we want you [the public] to bless it — museum goers understand that distinction” …
