Lafayette War Memorial Sparks Controversy

Nov. 20 - KGO (KGO) -- Is it a political statement or a memorial to fallen soldiers? The crosses on a Lafayette hillside have been sparking a lot of debate the past couple of weeks, and today was the deadline for part of it to come down. However, the people behind the exhibit are ignoring the city order.

Four hundred twenty crosses have been planted into the hillside above the Lafayette BART station -- a memorial to troops who've died in the Iraq war. And though the crosses are made of wood, they are a prism, refracting our divided views on the war.

Jeff Heaton, peace activist: "A lot of people who stop by are very grateful that we're putting up the memorial, showing gratitude and honoring our soldiers. And other people have stopped by  a smaller number of people have stopped by  and have been very angry and belligerent."

The city's position is that they can't compel the property owners to remove the crosses, they're considered decoration on private property. The sign however, they say, violates the ordinance and they've ordered it be made smaller or removed.

Louise Clark, property owner: "We do not plan on removing our memorial to our fallen soldiers. We feel that would be disrespectful to them."

Lousie Clark and her husband Johnson, a WWII vet, own the property. They gave the peace activists permission to install the memorial.

Bob Hansen says if some people find it hurtful, so be it.

Bob Hanson, Grandparents for Peace: "Certainly all the 2,800 and some guys that have been killed over in Iraq, it's certainly hurtul to them and their parents. But sweeping it under the rug and making it so it's not visible, isn't going to cause it to go away."

It's not likely the city will do anything soon to compel the Clarks to remove the sign. Lafayette might start code violation enforcement, but that could take months to resolve.

In the meantime, volunteers will work weekends adding more crosses until they plant one for every American service person killed in the war, which today is approaching nearly 3,000.

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