Peace activists fight weapon in local park

[Professor]

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0704110951apr12,1,5656514.story?coll=chi-news-hed

Northbrook OKs howitzer move
Peace activists fight weapon in local park

By Andrew Schroedter
Special to the Tribune
April 12, 2007

A World War II-era howitzer will be displayed near Northbrook Village Hall over the objections of community pacifists who said the cannon glorifies the violence and destruction of war.

"A cannon is not just a symbol of violence," Lee Goodman, founder of the Northbrook Peace Committee, told trustees at Tuesday's Village Board meeting. "It's an implement of violence."

The board listened attentively, but voted 6-0 in favor of a plan to display the howitzer at Freedom Park, a grassy area near Village Hall. The cannon had stood outside Northbrook's George W. Benjamin American Legion Post 791 for 38 years.

"I don't view this at all as something that advocates war or advocates military action," Trustee Todd Heller said. "I think it remembers all the people who have served for us."

The American Legion offered to donate the howitzer to the village after selling its building at 1435 Pfingsten Rd. earlier this year.

When the idea first surfaced in January, dozens of opponents packed a board meeting. As a result, Northbrook referred the issue to its Community Relations Commission, which ruled that it had no objection to the short-barreled cannon.

"Our overwhelming opinion is that the howitzer belongs in Freedom Park," said Ray Wehr, commission chairman.

Northbrook recently learned that the cannon belonged to the Army and not the American Legion, but officials said that shouldn't affect the plan. The village is working with the government to take conditional ownership of the weapon.

The newly painted howitzer will be displayed at Freedom Park along with a plaque that is to be co-written by the American Legion and the Northbrook Peace Committee.

Goodman argued that a passerby might ignore the plaque but couldn't help but see the gun. He suggested that the village transform the park into an outdoor museum that also shows the injury and destruction caused by military weapons.

"It should be there to teach history," Goodman said. "But you can't just talk about the glory of war. You have to tell the whole story."

Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune

[Professor]

I don't see an issue with displaying the cannon. There is a park across the street from my house, and a war plane is on display there. It has been as long as I can remember. It's never made me feel violent.

I used to live in a civil war town, there was history everywhere. Never made anyone violent.

[Oedipus Rex]

You wanna read something that'll make your blood boil? Try this...


http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5595985

A group of Littleton parents is opposing the design and location of a memorial to a fallen local Navy SEAL, Danny Dietz, who died in combat in Afghanistan two years ago.

They say the statue, depicting Dietz clutching an automatic rifle, glorifies violence. In Berry Park, it would be within blocks of three schools and two playgrounds.

"I don't think young children should be exposed to that in that way - unsupervised by their parents or any adults," said Emily Cassidy, one of the mothers.

The parents have circulated fliers opposing the design and location of the statue at the southeast corner of South Lowell Boulevard and West Berry Avenue, in a triangle formed by Goddard Middle School, Community School for the Gifted and Centennial Elementary School.

They sent a letter to school board members, nearby residents, members of parent-teacher organizations and others to protest "the statue's particular location."

Linda Cuesta, the parent of a child who was at Columbine High School during the deadly April 1999 shootings, said that memory "colors everything in my life," but she is sympathetic to the Dietz family.

"As much as it breaks my heart to do this, we have to weigh the effect of the statue in this particular place against the family's feelings," she said.

"Who wins here? It's a tough situation."

Dietz's father said the family is devastated by the uproar.

"It broke our hearts," said Dan Dietz, who still lives in the area. "My son was fighting for her freedom to do exactly what she is doing. She put my son in the same category as Columbine. How does she have the audacity to do that?"

On June 28, 2005, Dietz and three other Navy SEALs were ambushed by al-Qaeda guerrillas. Dietz, 25, severely wounded, fought off attackers for more than 45 minutes, allowing one of his team members to escape.

"The people who have never served in the armed forces are always the ones who speak the loudest against what the armed forces have done," said Allan Stone of the Pat Hannon VFW Post No. 4666 in Littleton, which helped raise nearly $42,000 for the sculpture.

Cassidy said the opposition is in no way meant to offend the family or denigrate Dietz's service.

"We have absolutely no issue with the family, and we have only good feelings for the soldier and what he did for this country," Cassidy said.

Kelli Narde, spokeswoman for the city of Littleton, said complaints about the statue are arriving "at the eleventh hour," too late to change the statue, which has already been cast.

"We're proceeding with the plan," she said.

"This opposition has come as a complete surprise; it's been such a public process."

Narde said Cuesta is the only person to formally approach the council about relocating the statue. It will be unveiled in Berry Park on July 4, the second anniversary of the recovery of Dietz's body on a mountainside in Afghanistan.

Cassidy and Cuesta said the memorial was no secret, but the parents opposing it had no idea the rifle would be a focal point.

And while war memorials nationwide include rifles, swords, cannons and battleships, "trends are changing," said Cuesta, who has advocated on behalf of stronger gun laws.

Sculptor Robert Henderson of Cañon City said Dietz is holding the rifle in a "parade-rest" position on one knee, somewhere between "at attention and at ease."

He hopes schoolchildren could use it in their studies, in discussing war.

"Every piece that I make, somebody is not going to like it," Henderson said. "Most of the people do, but you can't satisfy everybody."

Staff writer Diane Carman contributed to this report.

Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.

[Buck Laser]

If that makes your blood boil, then it has WAY too low a boiling point.

[Oedipus Rex]

If it doesn't, then maybe you should be looking for another spine.

[bobbylien]

I don't know why people feel the need to isolate their children from any views that differ from their own. They can shield their kids from reality if they want I guess, but I just think its a bad idea.

[Oedipus Rex]

I don't know why people feel the need to isolate their children from any views that differ from their own. They can shield their kids from reality if they want I guess, but I just think its a bad idea.






Its just a guess but I'm betting those parents have never been in the Service and are probably vegans. They have no concept of reality. I'd love to see them go protest at a VFW club or an American Legion post.

[bobbylien]

and are probably vegans.

Whats wrong with that? Its an extremely healthy lifestyle. I'm not really a vegan but I try to avoid dairy products due to their high fat contents. I also don't eat meat besides fish that hasn't been grown in one of those nasty fish ponds. I have no problem eating beef and stuff but I won't until the FDA releases some kind of standards for organic meat.

[piratemonkey]

Great argument.

The parents of Columbine High School students don't want guns glorified in their public park.

That sounds like a wildly unreasonable position.Â*Â*:rolleyes:

[Oedipus Rex]

Yeah, right... the park is about 1 - 1.5 miles from the school. Let's also not forget that the difference between the soldier and those two students is that one was a hero and the other two were criminals. Small point of fact.

[firefox]

This is why we need more privately owned parks and recreational areas. Then people won't be able to complain about having to pay for/put up with such things as often! 8-)