Neighborhood bans Christmas wreath

[DrummerDeanna]

I don't even know what to say about this....I mean..it's a freakin' PEACE sign

HOA bans Christmas wreath

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drm...172922,00.html

By Robert Weller, Associated Press
November 27, 2006
PAGOSA SPRINGS - In a town in scenic southwestern Colorado homeowners are battling over whether a Christmas wreath that includes a peace sign is an anti-Iraq war protest or even a promotion of Satan.
"We have had three or four complaints. Some people have kids in Iraq and they are sensitive," said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He also said some believe it is a symbol of Satan.

Jeff Heitz, of the association board, sent a letter to Lisa Jensen saying: "Loma Linda residents are offended by the peace sign displayed on the front of your house. ... This Board will not allow any signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive...."

The subdivision's convenants say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.

When Kearns ordered the association's architectural control committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath removed, they refused. Jack Lilly, chairman of the group, said it decided it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Lilly also said he had received no complaints from homeowners. Kearns fired all five members of the committee.

"Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," said Kearns in a telephone interview Sunday. Earlier another homeowner had complied when required to take down a peace sign that was made of a pie plate held up by two skis.

Jensen, a past president of the association in the subdivision of 200 homes 270 miles southwest of Denver, said: "I honestly wasn't thinking of the Iraq war. Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing. I am not going to take it down until after Christmas. Now that it has come to this I feel I can't get bullied. What if they don't like my Santa Claus."

Kearns said the association will fine Jensen $25 a day for every day it remains up. She calculates that will cost her about $1,000, although she doubts they will be able to make her pay.

Kearns, meanwhile, also said he was concerned about the pagan symbolism of the peace sign. "It's also an anti-Christ sign. That's how it started," he told the Durango Herald.

[chiliD]

How about putting up a sign that says "Bob Kearns Is A Child Molester"?

Remember that X-Files episode where Mulder & Scully go undercover in a housing tract as "Rob & Laura Petrie"?

[carrie721]

holy crap. this is like something out of 1984 ...

WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

[SuzeQuze]

This is not an anti-Christ symbol. The peace symbol was designed in '58 for nuclear disarmament. This anti-peace wreath dude seems to be yet another example of a paranoid Christian fundamentalist.

It was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts. He showed his preliminary sketches to a small group of people in the Peace News office in North London and to the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War, one of several smaller organisations that came together to set up CND.

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/~lcushin...olArticle.html

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

This is not an anti-Christ symbol. The peace symbol was designed in '58 for nuclear disarmament. This anti-peace wreath dude seems to be yet another example of a paranoid Christian fundamentalist.

the odd thing is though - so many buy into the anti-Christ significance of the Peace Sign because..."it looks like an inverted cross" My sister told me that once when she went througha Fundie phase....and I didn't care..nor did I believe it...because well, it's bogus.

This story just makes me sad...it also reminds me of the Simpsons with Mulder and Scully...and the "alien" "I bring you love..." ..."it brings us love...lets kill it!!!!" or something to that effect This story is just a sad commentary on what is going on today...

And I'm glad that the person is keeping the wreath up.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

the odd thing is though - so many buy into the anti-Christ significance of the Peace Sign because..."it looks like an inverted cross" My sister told me that once when she went througha Fundie phase....and I didn't care..nor did I believe it...because well, it's bogus.

This story just makes me sad...it also reminds me of the Simpsons with Mulder and Scully...and the "alien" "I bring you love..." ..."it brings us love...lets kill it!!!!" or something to that effect This story is just a sad commentary on what is going on today...

And I'm glad that the person is keeping the wreath up.

I am too and I wouldn't be surprised if people start sending them money to help pay that fine.

It does not look like an upside down cross either. Unless you twist it, which fundies usually do.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by SuzeQuze

I am too and I wouldn't be surprised if people start sending them money to help pay that fine.

It does not look like an upside down cross either. Unless you twist it, which fundies usually do.

oh snap!

i was thinking the same thing about ppl sending in money ... it's only a matter of time before that paypal acct gets started!

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by carrie721

oh snap!

i was thinking the same thing about ppl sending in money ... it's only a matter of time before that paypal acct gets started!

Yea for you listening to The Beatles

Sorry...erm back to the topic at hand...it's a $1,000 fine - I bet they could raise that in no time at all....the more I think of this story the more disgusted I get. ugh.


And here's more to why these people think the peace sign is actually a satanic symbol....oy...
http://www.nisbett.com/symbols/peace_sign.htm

[estranged4life]

and almost posted it.


People who are offended by a peace sign are just plain dumb.

[rbs3676]

Things like this floor me. There are so many other things to worry about...

rbs

[DavidMn]

People need to totally hose down.

[gldstwmn]

They live in a covenant controlled community unfortunately. And when you buy the property you also say you are going to abide by the covenants. They're usually pretty loosely defined so they can get away with this kind of crap. I used to live in a covenant controlled community and used to get notices when my sliding screen door was off the tracks, which was any time the wind blew. They also wouldn't allow me to have my daughter's bike on the patio. They suck.
Now if this were in Boulder, no one would bat an eye. But southern Colorado is a whole different thing. But there's probably some freeper living in the neighborhood who thinks them damn hippies are displaying their peace sign and not suppporting our troops and blah, blah, blah. It's amazing and interesting and perplexing the diversity of life in a few hundred miles.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by gldstwmn

They live in a covenant controlled community

That just sounds scary...I don't think I've heard of that...covenant controlled...yikes. And yeah...so were you constantly under a microscope? that's what it sounds like...yuck..it IS like that Laura and Rob Petrie episode of the X-Files

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by DrummerDeanna

That just sounds scary...I don't think I've heard of that...covenant controlled...yikes. And yeah...so were you constantly under a microscope? that's what it sounds like...yuck..it IS like that Laura and Rob Petrie episode of the X-Files

HOLY CRAP you read my mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"woman, get in there and make me a sam-wich!"

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by carrie721

HOLY CRAP you read my mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"woman, get in there and make me a sam-wich!"

lol..I wouldn't have even thought of that except ChiliD brought it up But I love that episode...and those "covenant neighborhoods" or whatever are totally what that ep was making fun of.