#1 By far the largest object is the Goddess Pomona, the Roman goddess of gardens and fruit trees, who is depicted from top to bottom in the middle of the seal. The cross, as this description makes clear, is the smallest object in the seal. Actually seeing the seal makes its smallness even clearer. When I first looked at the seal, I didn't even see it.
The cross represents the Christian history of Los Angeles County. It no more advocates Christianity than the Goddess Pomona advocates Roman paganism or the cow promotes Hinduism. It is therefore a lie to argue Los Angeles County is pushing Christianity on its citizens. As for the argument put forth by the ACLU's Ramona Ripston that the tiny cross makes non-Christians feel "unwelcome," as a Jew I find the comment equally absurd and paranoid. I have spoken to Los Angeles County rabbis of every denomination, and not one felt the cross should be removed, let alone felt "unwelcome." By the same logic, vegetarians should feel particularly unwelcome in Los Angeles County, given that two panels depict animals as food.
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