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BENTONIA, Miss.--Motorists had a few years to get used to crosses greeting them to the north and south on Hwy. 49 in the Town of Bentonia. Now the crosses, which were taken down after a complaint to the American Civil Liberties Union, are going back up.
We talked with Bear Atwood, a representative of the Mississippi ACLU. She said a resident complained about the tower being on public property.
"There was a cross on the water tower. We sent a public records request to Bentonia telling them if it was on public property that it was in violation of the Constitution," she said.
We also talked with David Osborne, a member of Bentonia Baptist Church and one of many in the community who want to see the crosses back up.
"They had been up for approximately three years. The Town decided after somee thinking not to fight it and so the crosses came down off the water tower," he said.
We talked with Bear Atwood, a representative of the Mississippi ACLU. She said a resident complained about the tower being on public property.
"There was a cross on the water tower. We sent a public records request to Bentonia telling them if it was on public property that it was in violation of the Constitution," she said.
We also talked with David Osborne, a member of Bentonia Baptist Church and one of many in the community who want to see the crosses back up.
"They had been up for approximately three years. The Town decided after somee thinking not to fight it and so the crosses came down off the water tower," he said.
He said a Madison resident, formerly from Bentonia, approached the church with an idea to erect a new tower on private property. He said the whole community has been involved.
"We have been taking donations and we have planned several events for fundraisers. The first one was a couple of weeks ago. It was a yard sale and bake sale. The next one comes up Oct. 27."
Osborne says it's a barbeque cook-off and pulled pork plate sale. He says you can but $10 tickets at the door or you can send in a donation (Bentonia Baptist Church-Memo:Lighted Cross, P.O. Box 67, Bentonia, MS 39040).
We asked the ACLU whether they would have anything to say about the crosses going back up on private property.
"As long as they're not violating their own sign ordinances, we're good with that," said Atwood.
Osborne says it's not the mission of anyone involved in the project to go to war with the ACLU.
"We just want to show God's love and God's grace. Our community is a religious community and we are striving to put the crosses back up and stand up as Christians to do what we feel like we're led to do," said Osborne.
The new tower will be 40 ft. taller and closer to the highway. The groundbreaking for construction is planned for December.
