President Bush signed a bill today that would transfer the land that the Mt. Soledad cross in San Diego sits on to the federal government. The cross, which is part of a Korean War memorial, has been under attack for years by atheists who deem it a violation of separation of church and state for the cross to be on city land.

What this transfer does is force the issue to be decided in the federal courts independent of the California constitution. The federal constitution has been widely interpreted to contain fewer restrictions on church and state than the state constitution.

This should just about end the controversy. If this cross is unconstitutional, then it would have to be deemed that all crosses and religious symbols on federal land are in violation. That means the displays in Arlington and Gettysburg, among other places, would have to go as well.

But the “annoyed atheists” (as Roger Hedgecock calls them) will no doubt sue to put the issue in front of a judge once more. So the community of sAn Diego and Korean War veterans are not totally out of the woods yet.

But with the Supreme Court containing more strict interpreters of the constitution, it would appear this issue may be headed for a successful conclusion.