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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 20118
[Civil]
Date Posted:
10/15/2008
5:40:59 pm EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 3,090
RSS: 11,197
Comments: 7
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Update: Public Funds Nixed For Jesus Statue In Edmond
Author: The Associated Press Source: Tulsa World (OK)
Title: PUBLIC FUNDS NIXED FOR JESUS STATUE IN EDMOND
The cross, Moses and now Jesus Christ have failed the separation of church and state test in this conservative Oklahoma City suburb with a penchant for trying to incorporate religious art in public spaces.
Edmond Mayor Dan O'Neil said Wednesday he plans to secure private funding to buy out the city's $3,900 commitment to help pay for a 26-inch-tall statue titled "Come Unto Me" planned for a sidewalk outside a downtown Catholic gift shop. It shows Jesus surrounded by children.
"We're not looking for a lawsuit," O'Neil said. "This will be bought by a private organization."
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Community Thoughts: There are 7 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Good! | Oct 16th. at 11:11:26 pm EDT
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R. T. Hummingbird ( (when I'm home) Jenks, Oklahoma) - Email Me
I'm glad that there are at least a few in my home state who have the sense to know where the line is and not to cross it... even when it involves their beloved Piscean Sun god.
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| Oh Dear! | Oct 16th. at 4:26:23 pm EDT
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Mariah Windrider (Grand Terrace, California) - Email Me
I don't think I would want to see a 26 inch statue of the Goddess or the God on a public sidewalk... how disrespectful! That's almost perfectly fire hydrant sized! And you know what happens to the hydrants on the sidewalk... there are dogs out there... Oh Dear!
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| What Happens When........... | Oct 16th. at 1:28:56 pm EDT
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Thorin (Newaygo, Michigan) - Email Me
What happens when that Catholic Gift Store goes out of business?? Or moves??? Then, who is going to pay for the statue to be moved?? Funny how folks don't think about that sort of thing. Sorry, but if the owner of the store wants that sort of thing, why doesn't she have it in her shop windor?? As the owner of a Pagan-related store, can you imagine the uproar if I were to place a statue of Thor or Freya outside my store??? LOL Hopefully the city will re-consider placing the statue on the "Public Sidewalk". JMO
Thorin
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| They Wanna Stick It On The Sidewalk?? | Oct 16th. at 1:26:06 pm EDT
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Mysteries Child (Garfield, Arkansas) - Email Me
Fine with me. I'm sure it's a perfectly lovely statue (even if some of the folks behind this probably aren't perfectly nice people) . Maybe it will even remind a few "Christians" to approach the world with open hands instead of with a Bible in one hand and a sword in the other.
Or to think about what [Jesus] would do with about four grand.
Hey-- hope springs eternal.
I, too, think it's sad that a statue of [fill in God/dess here] outside a Pagan/New Age bookstore would meet with a great deal more resistance.
I, too, think that zoning laws (and laws about the destruction of property, just in case someone actually manages to get one out there) must apply equally to all.
I'm just still not willing to insist that said equality come in the form of equal invisibility. I want for myself the de facto legal status that Christianity enjoys; I do not wish to impose upon Christianity the de facto legal status that makes me sad and angry.
Think about the racial civil rights movement. I know there's more work to be done and all-- I live in The Land of the Little Rock Nine for cryin' out loud-- but they didn't make all the strides they did by demanding that white people go to the back of the bus.
"I ain't movin" makes a good banner. "F*ck you honkey," however heartfelt it may be, does not.
Anyway. Stick it on the sidewalk?? Fine with me. Use public funds to put it there?? No way, folks. That's not fair in the best of times...
...and these are not the best of times.
I'm sure a local food pantry could put $3,900 to a much more civic use.
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| Restrictions Needed On Corrupt Officials | Oct 16th. at 12:31:48 pm EDT
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Terry (Irvington, Virginia) - Email Me
Neither this article nor the immediately preceding one about the city commission agreeing to fund half of this overt xtian religious display are completely clear about whether it's to be located on private or city property, but the implication is that a private religious business still has approval to place it on city land, and that city resources have been used to promote 50% private funding to replace wrongfully approved use of city funds. Both of those issues are serious problems, where the Mayor and commission members involved need to be personally penalized for those actions in order to send a message that they or successors are liable for their wrongful actions, not just in this case but any future ones as well.
Given the reported local attitudes that promotion of specific sectarian religions somehow isn't illegal if done via related businesses, or if liars misrepresent the clearly defined intent and meaning of religious icons as if secular art only (a common serious issue of multiple historic meanings, that doesn't exist in this case) , what may really be needed is a change to medical standards defining when someone is "a danger to oneself or others" due to psychiatric delusions. Whether a Chimp in Chief with huge caches of real WMD's, or officials directing what in effect is extortion of private funds backed by armed mercenary thugs when taxes are directed to not just misguided but illegal projects, it is a danger to others who might refuse and resist supporting such illegal projects when officials vote or otherwise act to approve or implement them. When that's based on such psychotic delusions that such persons no longer have the ability to distinguish icons to pretend friends in the sky from physical reality or personal fantasies, and use those delusions to direct armed thugs and those managing them to violate civil rights of others, there's no excuse to shield such religio-crazies from full legal process to remove them from positions of posing a danger to others.
The challenge is how to implement medical and legal process to restrict such abuses, when the underlying uncontrolled delusions and indirectly wrongful violence perpetrated based on them as so prolific that many people view such syndromes as normal, rather than pathology driving what is properly seen as violent crime by and via officials.
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| As Long As It's Both Privately Funded And Placed. | Oct 15th. at 8:59:21 pm EDT
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bigcat (peoria, Illinois) - Email Me
While I have no real problem with this being privately funded and on corresponding property, I can't help thinking of the huge uproar this would have caused if this were a Pagan statue being funded by Pagans and being placed on equally private property. By the same token I doubt they would be equally gracious.
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| Statue? No Problem...unless Tax Dollars Are Used. | Oct 15th. at 7:28:12 pm EDT
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Keyra (Plano, Texas) - Email Me
It's 26 inches tall, and outside of a Catholic gift shop. So, why can't the gift shop get the zoning permit for the easement and pay for it themselves?
I have no problem with the statue, considering its location. Now, if this was a larger-than-life statue in a city park, I would have something to say about it...but it's outside of a Catholic gift shop, so it kinda goes with the territory, in my view.
But to have this bought and paid for with public funds is crossing the line, and I'm glad it won't go forward. If the gift shop wants it, let them pay for it and go through the legal channels to have it erected there. Either that, or have the gift shop commission it, pay for it, and proudly display it in their window looking out onto the street.
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