Iraq memorial stirs bad blood in Calif. (AP)

[laststeamtrain]

Iraq memorial stirs bad blood in Calif.

By MICHELLE LOCKE, Associated Press WriterWed Nov 29, 6:35 PM ET

The hundreds of white wooden crosses planted on a quiet suburban hillside honor the memory of troops killed in Iraq — or, depending on your leanings, exploit personal grief for politics.

Jeff Heaton, who along with peace group members started putting up the crosses in early November in relatively conservative Lafayette, sees the effort as a simple tribute.

"It seemed like it would be a touching way to make people aware of the true costs of the war," he said.

But others are offended by the display of more than 400 crosses, on property owned by a friend of Heaton's. It sits opposite a commuter train station and is visible from a heavily traveled highway to San Francisco.

"I do not consider this a memorial," Lisa Disbrow, a resident of nearby Moraga who has a son preparing to serve in Iraq, said at a public hearing Monday night. Although many spoke in favor of the exhibit, others called it "painful" and a "travesty."

The hearing, which drew a crowd of more than 200, was technically not about the memorial itself, but about an accompanying sign: "In Memory of 2867 U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq."

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061129/ap_on_re_us/cross_controversy

[Jed Dilligan]

1. Saw it today. It's beautiful.

Lafayette is rich but not very conservative, btw.

[Soylent Brice]

2. Wish I could see it.

It's amazing how many people get offended about things that are brutally honest. I'll probably never see a memorial like that in Phoenix.

[northofdenali]

6. Honesty seems to be repellant to the neocons.....

Someone here on DU made the comment that "Republican ethics" is as much an oxymoron as Jumbo Shrimp!

Welcome to DU Soilent Brice - may you never be Green!! :hi:

[Morgana LaFey]

10. That's exactly what's offensive to them

and why -- the honesty. Can't handle honesty or the Truth.

[Ecumenist]

3. LAFAYETTE? CONSERVATIVE??!!

Yeah, right. It's in Contra Costa county, for crying out loud.. There are doubtless a couple of repub-lite idiots BUT it is NOT WHAT I CALL CONSERVATIVE, by any stretch of the imagination. It sits in the same county as Richmond California and just to the northeast of Oakland and Alameda county.

[Gormy Cuss]

8. Lafayette is very conservative for the Bay Area, but it's hardly a red zone.

The Lamorinda area has many old school republicans and new wealth right-leaning folks. There are liberals too, and Central Contra Costa in general does have more liberals than it did 10 or 20 years ago but we're far from the majority. In fact it's the Walnut Creek to Martinez stretch where most of the liberals reside.

The Iraq cross memorial is in a great high visibility location. I applaud the owner every time I see it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. This is almost as dumb as the protest over the peace wreath in Colorado

WTF is wrong with people?

Amy Goodman talks about the lack of images from Iraq. That is a big difference between this war and Vietnam. We don't get to see what is happening in Iraq. So we have created our own images. Whatever it takes to get the attention of the public. When the MSM doesn't do its job, the people will do it for them.

Here's a link to a picture of this memorial. It is beautiful.

http://news.yahoo.com/photo/061129/480/c1bf0497a6ee40a09ad3b2e5dfd9b0f9

[MADem]

5. Another view

http://www.mtdpc.org.nyud.net:8090/images/LafayetteCrosses.jpg

http://www.mtdpc.org/

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. "..it is clear thsy a majority of the citizens of the United States

lack awareness of the devastating effects of war."

There ya go. Thankfully we have people willing to coordinate exhibits like this.

[NuttyFluffers]

7. conservative as in reserved, but in no way politically.

had plenty of friends stay around there when going to college at St. Mary's. sure they roll up the streets around 6pm, and its pretty well tucked out of the way in lush hills, but it was NOT a republican stronghold. Tracy, Martinez, or Pittsburgh *might* qualify, but i think there's still a strong mix there.

well, whatever. it's a very pretty drive and i'd like to go see the memorial sometime.