[Southsider2k12]

I saw this Monday afternoon on the way to the beach at about 5pm and wondered what exactly it was. There was no sign or indicator to explain exactly what this was for. I am kind of surprised the City didn't think of the lawsuits that could come from using Christian symbols on public property.

http://heraldargus.com/archives/ha/display.php?id=374534

Cross display on city hall lawn removed following complaints
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Derek Smith, 1-866-362-2167 Ext. 13863, dsmith@heraldargus.com


Photo: Wendy Thoms
White crosses were removed from a Child Abuse Memorial outside of Michigan City's City Hall due to public comment on the integrity of the memorial. All that remain are several silhouettes of children.
More photos from this shoot

MICHIGAN CITY -- Fifty-four white crosses, one for each of the children who died from child abuse or neglect in Indiana in 2005, were removed Monday from the lawn in front of city hall in Michigan City.

The display marked the beginning of Child Abuse Prevention Month and coincided with the start of the Christian Holy Week.

It was removed less than 24 hours later because some people complained that the display didn’t accurately represent children of all religions.

The display also included silhouettes of children.

“They thought the display didn’t represent all of the children of the world,” Michigan City Mayor Chuck Oberlie told The La Porte County Herald-Argus this morning.

Oberlie’s office, which has provided an annual space for the display, received one of the complaints.

Dunebrook and the La Porte Circuit Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program, the agencies behind the display, also received complaints.

“It was thoughtless on our part,” Dunebrook Executive Director Diana Dibkey told The Herald-Argus this morning. “We certainly don’t want to offend anyone, one way or the other.”

Dibkey said it was a coincidence the display was set up the same day Holy Week began and that the focus was not intended to be religious.

“We don’t want to make this the center of something that was done with good intention,” Dibkey said. “We want the message to apply to everyone.”

That message is to spread awareness of child abuse and neglect and to promote prevention.

Indiana, Dibkey said, has the highest death rate of children less than 1 year of age in the nation and the third highest death rate of children under the age of 3.

“We don’t want to have that distinction,” she said. “We want to do things to let people know that these deaths are preventable.”

A new display featuring pinwheels instead of crosses will be set up today, Dibkey said.

Karen Biernacki, CASA/Harmony House director, said this morning that there was also a display of crosses at Founder’s Square at the corner of Michigan and Maple avenues in La Porte, but they’ve also been taken down. They’ll be replaced with silhouettes . The site will be dedicated at 11 a.m. Thursday.

[Max Main]

pinwheels are better because they emphasize the nature of the offenses.

[Ang]

pinwheels are better because they emphasize the nature of the offenses.

Why is that? I don't understand your meaning by that remark. I'm not disputing it, I just wonder why you say they "better emphasize the nature". Personally, I think if the memorial is to represent children who have died as a result of child abuse, then crosses are perfect. But, if it's only to emphasize the fact that children are abused, crosses are too much

[Max Main]

Pinwheels emphasize the nature of the victims, ie, they are CHILDREN, and it demands our reaction to the crimes in that way. As a Christian, crosses certainly carry much symbolic weight, but they do no point out as specifically that the victims are children and deserving of special protection.

[Ang]

Aaaahhhh. That makes sense, now. (Like I said) Crosses would be appropriate for victims who are dead, but since the victims are not dead (at least not ALL of them) then pinwheels are better. I get it. They should have left the number of crosses up for children who died as a result of child abuse and pinwheels for the rest. Or, they could erect big huge crosses and put the victimizers on them....

hmmm.

[Max Main]

I would prefer to see the perps in stocks on the city hall lawn; save crosses for sacred purposes.

[Southsider2k12]

The big problem with crosses on any public grounds is that they are instant lawsuit material from the ACLU.

[Ang]

Okay, stocks then. Can we add a gallows?

[Southsider2k12]

Now we are talking about what these people deserve!

[Max Main]

Thou shalt not kill.

Of course, the Church would and does allow for lethal force to be used in self-defense. I question that killing a perp after the fact is self-defense.

[Southsider2k12]

http://heraldargus.com/archives/ha/display.php?id=375130

Excuse me, but you’re not the victim here
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Hi everyone. I was on vacation last week; did you miss me? Yes, I still had a column. I tend to write some in advance. Well, usually I do, but I was a slacker last week so now it’s time to get my fingers on the keyboard. Shame, huh?

I’ll admit that I don’t usually read the paper at home, and last week was no exception. But when I realized I had nothing better to do, I picked it up.

I read about that cop losing his gun. Bummer! Bet he got reamed royally for that one. Kudos to the person who found it and turned it in. To be totally honest here, I’m not sure if I’d do the same. I mean a Glock .40 caliber! That’s a nice piece!

Now I want to put in my 2 cents on the story about the cross display on the Michigan City Hall lawn. The crosses that were part of the display were removed because of complaints. The display marked Child Abuse Prevention Month.

OK, so what’s the problem here, people? Are the ones who complained about the crosses FOR child abuse? I mean, come on! So it just happened that it was also the start of Christian Holy Week. I guess I can see why some would think that it didn’t represent all religions. I’d just call that an “oops.”

I guess some whiners thought that it didn’t represent “all the children of the world.” Um, how can I put this nicely? I can’t. You idiots! There were 54 crosses representing 54 children killed by abuse in INDIANA! Not the world.

How many damn crosses do you think they’d have to put up to represent ALL the children killed by abuse in the world? Something tells me a few more than 54.

You’re all entitled to your opinion. It’s your right as a citizen of the U.S. of A. that if you’re offended or upset about something, you can complain. But what really gets my bloomers in a knot is the fact that you’re offended by white crosses and apparently NOT by the fact that 54 children died.

If you want to complain about something, or want to get something changed, why not that?

Those crosses upset you. What a shame. I’m upset when I read about some kid dying at the hands of his own parent or parents. No, not upset ... I’m totally PO’d!

Well, I’m just glad you got your way and the crosses were taken down. It’s a crying shame all those kids out there don’t get THEIR way and don’t get to live in a world without daily beatings.

Glad you’re happy those crosses are gone. Myself, I’ll be a little happier when those crosses don’t have to be put up at all.