Replacing Mojave cross

The 7-foot, steel-and-concrete cross erected atop a two-story boulder in what is now the Mojave Desert Preserve to honor American war veterans was stolen a week ago, less than two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the cross could stay.

Wanda Sandoz, who with her husband Henry has maintained a cross on the site for more then 25 years, says vandals had to cut through welded bolts to make off with the memorial. But that the caretakers intend to rebuild it.

Not so fast, says Linda Slater, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. Ms. Slater told The Associated Press it's not immediately clear whether a replacement cross will be permitted.

"We're waiting for news from the department of Justice as to what we should do," Ms. Slater told The AP. "The case is still in litigation."

If the Park folks are just being cautious while they seek legal guidance, that's one thing.

But no federal agency should be comfortable with allowing thieves and vandals to, in effect, overrule the Supreme Court by brute force.

What the court ruled could stay on the site was a symbol, not one particular piece of steel. The Park Service should not stand in the way of rebuilding the cross -- and that includes that favorite bureaucratic remedy, demanding that an "environmental impact statement" be filed, and then sitting on it for years.