(KARE) What began as a humble monument for fallen veterans has turned into a battle over free speech.
And soon, a memorial featuring a kneeling solder praying over a grave marked with a cross at the Veterans Memorial Park in Belle Plaine will share space with a satanic, black cube with inverted pentagrams, a soldier’s helmet and a plaque honoring veterans who died in battle.
Both monuments will be placed in a newly designated “limited open forum” space where private citizens or groups can apply to put temporary monuments, as long as they honor veterans.
The open forum, or free speech space, was created by the city council after the Freedom From Religion Foundation threaten to sue the city for allowing the display of a religious symbol on public land.
