Statue of Silliness

In my old age, I try to be increasingly tolerant of the religious, but boy, they make it hard sometimes. The Times reports on a Memphis megachurch that has unveiled a replica of the Statue of Liberty -- named the Statue of Liberation Through Christ -- that holds aloft a giant cross in her right hand and tucks the Ten Commandments close to herself with her left. And while it's easy to caricature the South with such a story, I far prefer to focus on this stretch of the report:

But although big cheers went up from the few hundred onlookers at the unveiling...she was not universally welcomed.

Most of the customers at the Dixie Queen food counter near the church viewed the statue as a cheap attention grab, said Guardia Nelson, 27, who works there.

"It's a big issue," Ms. Nelson said. "Liberty's supposed to have a fire, not a cross."