Dec 16, 2013

On Second Thought, the Silence of Snow



8 comments:

bettertry said...

Holy podium crosses batman!

A war of words with you two I will certainly lose as badly as Bonny & Clyde (and look similar to) on their final drive in Louisana.

As an ACLU cardholder I had to read up on the Mt Soledad case long BEFORE the heartfelt posts of Banjo & AH.

Here are a couple of facts to keep in mind:

1) The cross at issue is 29 feet high and sets atop a 14 foot stepped platform; at the top of a hill.

2) The cross at issue was installed in 1954. Dating back to 1913 there was some type of cross at this location in La Jolla California.

The Mt. Soledad cross is not your run of the mill cemetery cross.

This "cross" religious and veteran issues are used by both sides.

One side of the story goes something like this: Way back in the early and mid 20th century folks in La Jolla California didn't want any Jews (Blacks or Fags) so they put up this big cross as a symbol where it stands today. Please feel free to check my history on this historical point - the folks in La Jolla excluded Jews.

Next, there is some litigation and the folks in La Jolla say "OH MY, the cross is simply a Korean War Memorial". Why who can be against a Korean War Memorial? The Jewish Korean War Veterans that's who. I'm with the Jews on this one. Check your history.

I know you two are going to crush me like a bug on a windshield in a war of words so I'll end my rant by saying.

Merry ChrisHannahKwanza and to all a good night.

Banjo52 said...

Bettertry, thank you! I knew it was risky to go on less than complete information, and indeed, size matters here. I don't know if I'll completely reverse myself yet because I'm so weary with people making mountains out mole hills--AND not seeing or not saying that they're sorry they have to do so-and-so, they know so-and-so is dumb, but here's why they have to do it anyway__________. Lawyers, politicians, doctors, clergy, and even teachers . . . . One lead on tonight's CBS news said we should stop taking vitamins. Jesus! Will SOMEBODY among all these smart people make up his mind?

The Jewish Korean War Vets--OK, I'm not gonna argue against that, but I do still wonder, wouldn't a large Star of David be another option? The darker possibilities re: La Jolla gentiles of the past . . . well, they are dark indeed, and if that proves to be the central force here, I'll write a retraction.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate any thoughts on the matter. Here's some info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Soledad_cross_controversy

Ken Mac said...

Good will, generosity, and common sense are also irrelevant

hear hear

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I got half way through your post and made a U-turn. If you read Paula's comment in AH's thread you would have discovered this thing is not that sweet little cross with the garlands anymore then the butchering zone of Hahmongna can be understood by graphic overlays of blue and green.

To start, that is a mid-century monstrosity of bad design. Think Maya Lin. No crosses or stars or sabers or sickles. It's effective and was commissioned to be a monument from the get go.

You know, you might not like it when the ACLU allows the Klan to come to town, but when it comes to protecting your civil rights, who are you going to call?

Banjo52 said...

PA, you'll notice I've removed the ill-advised post. I'm embarrassed not to have investigated further before venting. Did you also see my statements of support for the ACLU in most of their situations? That would include the Klan parades, sickening as they are. But there have been times when, to me, they seemed overly concerned with cases that appeared minor and/or symbolic, in support of the freedom of expression of something very extreme and very minor, when major situations were sitting there in need of the ACLU. Sorry, I can't think of examples--I'm talking about decades of events in the news. Had the Mt. Soledad cross been the small family grave I thought it was, it might have been such an example. But no, it's a 29-foot monstrosity with a nasty history. From here on, I'll do my homework better.

Stickup Artist said...

I don't know anything about this cross or this case. Personally, I like all religious iconography: crosses, Virgins of Guadalupe, Buddha statuettes, worry beads, prayer wheels, Hindu Gods and Goddesses on t-shirts; whatever. But, more than human constructs, I like nature and the "silence of snow."

Rune Eide said...

As I read the comments it became clear to me that I have missed something, somewhere.

But I can at least appreciate the photo - and thank you for the very in-depth comment :-)

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