Religious History and the Seal’s Cross

Re “A Flash for the ACLU: Cities Are Rooted in Religion,” Commentary, July 8: Joel Kotkin dishonors what this country stands for when he writes that “to remove the cross from the seal dishonors the religious motivations of all these critical shapers of the urban experience.” Kotkin approvingly cites ancient and medieval civilizations for their mingling of religious and political power. Is he not aware that the United States represents a fundamental break with this long history?

Kotkin continues his argument by noting the good works performed by religious groups in working for a better urban life. But these religious groups act in a private capacity. If we want to memorialize their contributions on our seal, why not honor other groups as well, such as the Boy Scouts or Planned Parenthood? When will the advocates of religion in government finally realize that in America, thank God, religion is a private, not a governmental, matter? We should celebrate our religious liberty, not seek to undermine it by having religious symbols on our civic emblems.

Suzanne Zaharoni

Hawthorne

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Kotkin’s defense of the county seal cross is mistaken about the necessity to represent religious history through the use of a sectarian symbol. My family have been active participants in the L.A. Jewish community since the 1870s, when my great-grandparents joined Temple B’nai B’rith (now Wilshire Boulevard Temple). As a Jew, I do not need or want a Christian cross on a public emblem to tell me that my religious civilization is valued. People of all faiths are perfectly capable of maintaining their communities without official endorsement by the government.

Peter L. Reich

Los Angeles

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As Kotkin so elegantly writes, religion is also about history. It is also about neurology, poetry, policy, community and decency. Since ACLU officials can only grasp the narrow legality of issues and can only see religion as a compartmentalized category, they reveal more about their limited vision than they do about the validity of the cross in the Los Angeles County seal.

Iris Hicks

San Diego

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The slam to history is that nothing on the Los Angeles County seal refers to the Tongva/Gabrielino people of the region. Would it not be fitting for something on the seal to symbolize those who were living in the region when the cross arrived?

Michael D. Mauer

Los Angeles