Talking Points

• The 9/11 girder cross is divisive and exclusionary. It excludes upwards of 40% of the victims who perished in the 9/11 attacks.
• The 9/11 girder cross is a reminder to many that religion was the motivation for the 9/11 attacks, and perversely celebrates that cause.
• The 9/11 girder cross placed in a taxpayer-funded memorial is also an obvious and blatant violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the US federal and NY state constitutions.
• If this cross was allowed to remain in the 9/11 Memorial by itself, it would set a terrible precedent and eviscerate what remains of the Establishment Clause.
• The WTCMF realizes that this cross was controversial, as evidenced by the dishonest omission of its mention on its fundraising website, the covert planning done to install the cross, and the after-the-fact actions to attempt to “ecumenicize” the installation.
• We think that including only symbols and displays that represent all of the victims and their families is the proper policy and practice of the 9/11 Memorial. However, if the memorial officials decide that they will include symbols that exclude some of these victims, then American Atheists insists that an equivalent  symbol for our community be included as well.
• This is not an issue for atheist rights. This is an issue of civil rights for all Americans to protect the American value of liberty and freedom for all, E Pluribus Unum.