Tennessee city allows 'God Bless America' display
By The Associated Press
12.24.02
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The City Council has voted unanimously to allow the display of a memorial that includes the phrase “God Bless America,” a reversal of a city leader’s decision earlier this month.
Firefighters built the memorial to the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and placed it in front of one of Murfreesboro’s fire stations Dec. 12.
The display was taken down after City Manager Roger Haley met with fire officials and asked that the words be changed to “United We Stand.” Capt. Robert Decker painted over the word “God” and later moved the memorial to the lawn of his home.
The City Council decided Dec. 19, before almost 100 people, to allow the memorial’s display on the fire station’s lawn or in the rotunda of City Hall, which is a limited public forum, said City Attorney Susan McGannon.
“This is an issue that’s come up before,” she said. “The law is clear on public forums.”
Decker said he would consult with others in the fire department before deciding what to do with the memorial.
“I’m not going to make any decisions off the top of my head,” he said. “I have to think about it. I’ve got a lot of things to consider.”
Haley apologized Dec. 19 before the council, saying his efforts “had a negative and unexpected consequence.” He should have ordered the memorial removed because its display was not authorized, and it was public speech by a city employee on city land, he said.
“If we ever open that door for public functions, it’s open,” he said. “You won’t close it again.”
Murfreesboro is the county seat of Rutherford County, which was ordered in June by a federal judge to remove a Ten Commandments display from its courthouse.
Councilwoman Beth O’Brien did not seem worried Dec. 19 about involving the city in any litigation.
“Are we going to continue to let political correctness be the rule?” she said. “I don’t know who would sue us, but I do know the wrath of the nation and all the firefighters would be upon them.”