There is a little old lady down the street from me who has recieved notice from the city to remove her statue of Jesus from her side yard or to put it behind a fence. The statue has been there some 40 years, and there is no city ordinace against such a thing. Infact, the lady across the street from her has three deer in her front yard. What do you think the motivation is behind the city's demand?
2006-09-15 16:32:34 · 32 answers · asked by atreadia 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I was with her today for three hours as we talked to city officials. They claim that the statue is offensive, yet would not provide evidence that the statue, which has been on her side lawn for 40 years, is offensive to anyone. There is no ordinace to govern what statues a person puts up in their private yards. If there were, there are many statues city wide that are far more offensive than this one. (Personally I don't care what kind og lawn ornaments you put in your lawn, since it is your lawn not mine.)
Some one mentioned easment rights, that may be true in some cities, but there is no such thing here, there aren't any sidewalks unless the homeowner wants to pay to put them in. All the city says is that five feet from the edge of the street is considered easment, and no structure may be built within five feet of the common property line. The statue, is in the middle of a double city lot that Esther and her husband bought shortly after buying their house fifty years ago.
2006-09-15 16:56:39 · update #1
I dont think the city can legally force her to do this (unless there are local statutes against a person having a statue like this on private property -- sounds like the city if over-reaching its authority)...
Cordially,
John
2006-09-15 16:35:36 · answer #1 · answered by John 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
YOUR LIL' FACE LOOKS SO SAD AS DOES THE STORY...
Look, I'm a homo, and I find this whole christian thing a bit ridiculous, but I will try to help you because homos are nice people contrary to SOME christians (no saying you are one of them)....
She needs to KNOW her rights. A neighbor could have a fence for 30 years and then be asked to take it down by another neighbor based on the fact that someone read the property lines wrong the first time around.
She needs to know her property bounds, the state and city she lives in, the height and weight requirements for statues, etc.
She HAS to make this a legal issue no matter how this stands.
Before getting an attorney, make sure the property lines are in order, as well as, all the other factors (height, weight, "housing"city ordinances), and IF she has a case then fight it.
We are Americans!!! We have a right (within guidelines) to put a statue of Jesus in our yards! Or be a homo like me! Praise freedom - YET UTILIZE IT!
2006-09-15 16:41:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the side yard is her private property, and she is in the US, the city is violating her constitutional rights if they do not have a general 'statue' ordinance that she is violating, or if there is such an ordiance and it is only being enforced against her for religious reasons.
If it is public property, then the city is doing the right thing to make sure it does nor run afoul of the 1st Amendment.
2006-09-15 16:36:08 · answer #3 · answered by lenny 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There seems to be a countrywide thing going on to neutralize all religions to minimize offense taken by some. It's happening in the schools and in the communities. And it's happening with flags as well. the ACLU (who was started by communists by the way) and pagans are behind the movements, but we see other religions like Islam causing situations as well. I suppose she could fight the removal of the statue thru the Alliance Defense Fund but she would have to pay them like she would an attorney. I know that some things like mobile homes where new owners have had to pay additional fees when they put in a new mobile home, that if they bought the land and it had an old mobile home on there they wouldn't have to pay the fee because the mobile home would have been "grandfathered in"....and probably that statue could be "grandfathered in" but that lady is probably too old to fight the situation and ask for that.
There was a young lady who had welcome home stuff and yellow ribbons in the front yard of her home (in a complex home situation) for her husband's homecoming back from Iraq and the tv made a big deal of it when the complex community wanted her to take it all down. She attempted to fight it and eventually she took all the stuff down from her yard. Somebody apparently got to her. Even her military husband who was coming home from Iraq and all the service men here weren't able to fight that complex of home owners. So I too don't know what's going on.
2006-09-15 16:47:59 · answer #4 · answered by sophieb 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I noticed you said her side yard. Is it on her private property, or on city property? If its on her private land they can't make her take it down. But if it does turn out to be a city-owned easment, a nice thing for you to do would be to offer to move it for her, and maybe plant some flowers around it in her backyard.
2006-09-15 16:37:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Some people were probably pissed about the Jesus statue, which is ridiculous. It's the lady's yard, not a public park, she should be able to have the statue there if she wants.
That's a silly thing to do, she should make a complaint.
2006-09-15 16:36:16 · answer #6 · answered by cami_calzone 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like a neighbor or passer-by complained. It's funny how religous icons affect some people. Since it was in her side yard, I assume that it was not totally viewable from the street. I can't believe that people complain about this and not about the children starving in our streets. Sounds like someone has too much time on their hands. Let this lady live in peace with her statue. It makes her happy which in turn makes us happy.
2006-09-15 16:38:33 · answer #7 · answered by sunshineathome74 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Personally i feel as aa Chritian that the whole world is against us. And for me thats just anohter reason why i will stand by my God. even to the point of death. Schools and work are always trying to erase God from eveything. They just had a debate on saying teh pledge of alligience with God in it. Or the ten commandments in a working building. In school u cna't teach about tehbible but tlak about it. Some colleges or schools ban a person from publically reading the Bible. Isn't that funny? What happened to freedom? I feel like they are trying to put us dwon but i kow who my real Father is. My only Savior. Whom i love. Oh yeah one more recently, like three days ago, my cousin getting yelled at to take off her shirt that said "Got Jesus" and to remove it. But she didn't but she luckily didn't get in trouble.
2006-09-15 16:37:10 · answer #8 · answered by Mia 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I too, would guess that someone complained. If the statue is on her property and does not interfere with the views of drivers on that street, it should be permitted to stay. She has the right to display her choice of statues on her property.
2006-09-15 16:37:37 · answer #9 · answered by TJMiler 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like someone complained to the city about her statue. Is there a new neighbor? That person porbably turned her in.
2006-09-15 16:36:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋