Americans United for the Separation of Church and State just scored a big victory in King City, North Carolina (and boy, is the Christian Post salty as sweat). The city had a statue of a soldier praying over a cross holding a Christian flag, clearly an endorsement of Christianity on government land with government funds. The city has voted not to defend itself after being sued by one if its veteran citizens:

A North Carolina town has finally thrown in the towel on a years-long court battle by agreeing to remove a veterans’ memorial statue from its central park that featured a praying soldier kneeling before a cross and a Christian flag. After spending approximately $50,000 in legal fees to help preserve the memorial at King Central Park, and willing to spend no more, the King City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday to agree on a settlement with the plaintiff, a former U.S. Army soldier, that would force the city to remove the statue and take down the Christian flag.

The city council vote took place in front of a room of about 60 of the town’s residents and many of them shook their heads in disapproval as the board announced the settlement. The Winston-Salem Journal reports that a few residents interjected with notions such as: “What else are you going to give up next?”

Yeah, if the city won’t violate the Constitution here, what’s next? It makes it sound like the law-breakers are the good guys and the ones demanding equal representation of the government are somehow out to get the good Christians. At least it would sound that way to anybody with a persecution complex. Anyway, the answer is to that question is nothing. Nothing will be given up, unless you look at not breaking the law as an unfair burden. When people break the law, they’ll be stopped (hopefully), and when people don’t break the law they’ll be left alone. The city was breaking the law.

“There’s no win in this situation,” said Mayor Pro Tem. Dillard Brunette, who voted for the settlement.

Oh yes there is! The win is when the government doesn’t endorse religion. This is a win for everybody, for this is how religious freedom is maintained. The government can’t elevate one religion over another. It’s your right to pray and to worship as you see fit. It’s not your right to have government land and resources devoted to the endorsement of your faith.

A city council member who voted against the settlement, Wesley Carter, understands why other members of the council voted for removing the memorial, but said he still doesn’t think it’s right for it to be forcefully removed considering that most members of the community want to keep it there.

Thankfully it doesn’t matter how many people want a Constitutional violation. You don’t get to break the law no matter how many people want to.

“I do feel that this city has been sabotaged and has been bullied by folks that don’t believe what this community stands for,” Carter said.

If your community stands for using government resources to promote religion, hell yes I don’t stand for that. Neither does the law. And neither should city officials sworn to uphold the Constitution. If ensuring the Constitution is upheld is tantamount to sabotage in your mind, Mr. Carter, perhaps it’s time to find another position.