do you feel a memorial on a hwy is offense?

kls

Here in Wisconsin, around 6months ago we had a terrible crash on one of our freeways because of fog and driveing to fast for conditions.There were many casualities, anyway many persons who loved ones died in that crash have memorials at the sight such as crosses ,flowers ,etc.Well it seems the county were this happened wrote letters to all persons leaving memorials to stop ,their saying it is a road hazard and a distraction to drivers.Well now we hear it is non religious people are complaining , saying it is offense to them to have to drive by these shrines. I feel if they dont like it they should close their eyes. lol What do you think.

Stephanus

Having lost a lot of people I loved over the years, I find myself feel a sharp rise in my distress level when I see those things; I don't need that kind of thing to remind me that life's cruel!

liquidsky

Washington State has a similar law. I personally don't like to see memorials on the side of road. They look trashy. Especially when people leave stuffed animals, balloons, plastic flowers, pictures, etc,etc. I don't think its any different then littering.

DJ

I'm saddened by them but I'm not annoyed with them. If the families did it, then who are we to tell them how to grieve. They should be temporary though and kept neat to avoid unnecessary distractions while driving.

mattnoel

Thats very sad. There should be something there as so many people died. I remember when a kid had an accident outside my road, the parents of the two kids put a professional sign up saying "In Memory of Wayne & Gemma, please wear a seatbealt and dont speed" there was then flowers around this, was very tastefull. People are dealing with their greaf and thats their way, so people who were not involved should butt out and let it happen.

Mystery

I don't find them offensive.

I agree that they should be kept up.

I put a concrete angel at an intersection that a wonderful woman & friend was killed in Jan. of '01. It is a reminder that everytime we go thru the intersection to to use caution. Just becasue we have the "right" of way, doesn't mean we have to take it.

It meant a lot to her family. Months later, after being cornered by her step-mom, and had to fess up that it was me I ask her if she wanted me to move it because of the reminder. She told me regardless whether the angel is there are not, do you really think we will ever forget what happen there? The angel allows us to see heaven; without it we would just "see" the ripped apart truck, the sirens, her laying under a sheet. No, we don't want you to take it away.

Ravyn

personally I think a road sign advising against driving too fast or recklessly around a dangerous curve would be in better taste and less offensive and selfish. yes I said selfish. there are cemeteries for the tacky plastic flowers and crosses. roadside is no place for them. if we put up some memorial on every piece of land where someone died in this country there would not be an empty space large enough to take a step in!

And every memorial to one person on public land diminishes the importance of the many others who also died---kinda' like the publicity of one missing child returning home over the death of another one who didn't, in recent memory(see? bet you don't even know the name of the little black girl who disappeared the same day as Eliazbeth Smart do you? I am ashamed to admit that I don't know it.)

the place for personal expression of grief is in the cemetery, but it would be an enduring memorial to those, who thru their own stupid negligence or that of someone else, died there, if a warning sign was erected to prevent others from repeating the tragedy. This seems to be more regional--alot of it in the South, where it is just another excuse for the fundies to be in your face with their religion.

I find it as tacky as a yard full of junk cars and plastic flamingoes.

Ravyn

I am surprised at how passionate I am feeling about this! But I just have to say to MattNoel and others who say it is grief and should be allowed to be expressed....

IN THE CEMETERY. Not on public property. Property that I maintain with my tax dollars. It is not MY grief and it is a hazard (and offensive if used to 'preach' , which--whether anyone likes it or not--is exactly what the American fundys are doing with it!)

I PAY for a cemetery plot---have I just wasted my money? Should I not buy one and just erect a memorial along side County Road 737? This is totally distasteful to me.

Perhaps I am just fed up to my limit with American Xtian Fundamentalism. But if I see one more cross I just might sue. Free speech, but on public property others' rights are just as valid as my own and neutrality should be maintained (enforced even if people can't manage to do it on their own!)

Ravyn--now I need some chocolate

Maverick

We have them here, when I see one it causes me to think about how easy it is to lose your life in an accident. I pay more attention to my driving for a while after that. Maverick

undercover

If you put flowers/crosses/signs memorials at every accident that took a life on the nations roadways, you would have one big mess. I say clean up the roadways, put the flowers in the cemetary and get on with your life.

do you feel a memorial on a hwy is offense?

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