(Effingham) — Following months of controversy, the cross has been removed from an Effingham mural. The mural painted at the crossroad on a walking path from Effingham High School to its football field was painted by a local artist and on one side featured the “Cross at the Crossroads,” the massive 198-foot tall cross Effingham has become famous for. Many community members were in support of the mural. However, in January the Wisconsin based Freedom From Religion Foundation urged the city to take it down to “avoid constitutional concerns and divisiveness among the Effingham community”. The city removed the image this week. According to a statement from the City Council, the last thing the City Council wants is for any members of the community to feel excluded or treated as second-class citizens because they hold a minority belief. It is in service to these principles that the City Council has altered the mural accordingly.
