Are Memorial Day Crosses Religious? Controversy Over Complaint Opened Community's Eyes

A recent controversy involving Memorial Day crosses reportedly opened a community's eyes. Memorial Day crosses have been as much an institution as the event they commemorate, but recent events called them to question.

Memorial Day essentially commemorates the sacrifice and courage of men and women, who served in the US army. Veterans and those who have passed on are each honored on Memorial Day.

In recent times, Memorial Day became more popularly associated with special sales offerings, long-weekend jaunts and slow-moving traffic. Memorial Day also typically signals the beginning of summer vacation from school.

For residents of Paulding County in Georgia, Memorial Day this year will take on a bit more significance. The Memorial Day crosses that have typified commemoration displays for this even became a point of controversy.

WBS-TV reports that a group of residents in Hiram protested the use of the 79 handmade Memorial Day crosses to remember fallen Paulding County sons and daughters. The protest essentially tagged the Memorial Day crosses as non-inclusive.

The protesters pointed out that not all those being remembered on Memorial Day are Christians. Some of the Memorial Day honorees had different or no religious association in life.

The City Council initially gave in to the protest and the Memorial Day crosses were taken down. After a change of heart, however, Council brought the Memorial Day crosses back up the day after they were taken down.

According to the Smithsonian National Museum Of American History, the "battlefield cross" as those seen on Memorial Day have no religious meaning. In the time of war, crosses were simply used as grave markers for soldiers in war sites.

These crosses were erected on the soldier's graves to alert battlefield Graves Registration Service personnels that a body lies within for proper removal and burial. Eventually, the battlefield cross became used as a memorial.

Some Hiram residents stressed that the protest against Memorial Day crosses is a case of taking political correctness too far. "It opened our eyes that we missed something here, and we immediately took corrective action," City Manager Barry Atkinson explained the change in decision.