ShareThisBy JASON B. JOHNSON
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., voters may oppose the Iraq war, but the oak-studded hillside suburb of Lafayette has taken center stage among Bay Area war protests thanks to an emotional debate over a highly visible memorial to U.S. soldiers killed in the conflict.
Lafayette is known more for pricey homes and good schools than left-leaning politics, but its civic temperature suddenly rose several degrees after 300 crosses were erected a week ago on a privately owned hillside near the Lafayette BART Station. The crosses are accompanied by a large sign reading, "In Memory of 2,839 U.S. Troops Killed In Iraq."
"Some are very strongly opposed, others favor it," City Councilman Don Tatzin said. "It has put some people on edge, particularly those who have sons or other loved ones in the military. They view these crosses as a sign of disrespect and not as a sign of respect, and it's also a reminder of what might happen to their loved ones."
After one angry motorist got out of her car and knocked the sign down, city officials told the memorial's builders to remove the sign because it violated local zoning laws. But the group has kept the sign in place _ and on Sunday added 120 crosses.
"It's certainly a topic of conversation," Tatzin added with a wry smile in an interview at his home near the memorial.
"We've been accused of being political, but the sign isn't political," said memorial leader Jeff Heaton, 53, a general contractor and a lifelong resident of Lafayette. "It's a statement of fact."
The memorial is seen by thousands of commuters and others who drive along Highway 24 and take BART through Lafayette, a largely bedroom community nestled between Berkeley and Walnut Creek. The City Council plans to discuss the sign and allow residents to voice their opinions about the issue at its Nov. 27 meeting.
"What we're trying to do is remind people there are lives being lost, families being devastated," Heaton said, referring to the Bush administration's restrictions on images of dead U.S. soldiers and their coffins. "Because it's against the president's edict to show a funeral on television and show bodies coming off an airplane."
Heaton acknowledged that everyone who planted the simple white crosses _ along with a handful of Islamic crescents and Jewish Stars of David _ opposes the war. But he said it's primarily a solemn salute to U.S. servicemen and women.
He noted that the memorial contains no verbal or visual attack on the Bush administration, and he said he hopes passers-by see it as honoring those who have died, regardless of their view on the war.
City officials initially told the group that normal signage rules would not apply to the memorial, but later decided the rules did apply and asked the memorial sponsors to remove the sign or install a smaller one by today.
If the owners of the land fail to remove the sign, they will be issued a citation, which they could appeal to the city's code enforcement appeals board and ultimately to the City Council. Lafayette Mayor Ivor Samson said he supports the First Amendment right to express political views, but officials have determined that the sign violates the city sign ordinance.
"We just want to make sure that everyone's legal rights are protected," said Samson.
Property owner Louise Clark said the sign is an important part of the memorial and believes it should be allowed to remain, but will take it down if the city ultimately rules against her group.
Clark said she and Heaton tried to build a smaller memorial about three years ago when U.S. soldiers began dying in the Iraq conflict.
"We tried to put up 15 crosses, and someone took them down that night," said Clark. "They gave their lives for us. I feel they need a memorial."
