November 02, 2004

Prayer at City Council Meetings

In its present session The Supreme Court is noodling over whether public buildings can have religious icons in them, such as copies of The Ten Commendments.
This picks at an old wound here in South Haven. There was a lot of talk some years ago about the use of local Christian ministers to start City Council meetings with prayer. Is this appropriate?
I, personally, find it inappropriate and frequently offensive. I can't imagine how arabs, jews and real agnostics think.
Who SAYS that governmental meetings should begin with prayer?
Whose town is this? OURS.

Posted by Elaine at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)

Downtown Garden Patches Besmirched with Ads

Now we have some new business billboards to add to our collection of
advertisements (such as the street-light banners) on city-owned property. The small islands of gardens downtown now have signs in them saying who they are *sponsored* by. Hmmmmmmm...... Seems to me I never saw a public opportunity to bid on such an amazing opportunity...was the chance to emblazon the name of one's business on the city gardens given to all? What was the cost? Where did the money go? More importantly, who made the decision that the city gardens were for sale as an advertising opportunity?

And, as long as I'm speaking of visual blight, what's with the red ribbons all over town and the "Red Ribbon Week" banners across the
intersections? What does it mean? Who makes these decisions? Are there public hearings to see if there is consensus for these public endorsements of...well, whatever it is? I'm all for everything from pink cancer ribbons to gay pride bracelets, but who says they should
be anywhere other than on individuals, rather than imposed on a town?

Whose town is this anyway? OURS.

The beat goes on.

Posted by Elaine at 10:18 AM | Comments (1)