Monday, October 17, 2005

Caught in symbolism

For the life of me, I don't understand how the substance of a movement has its knees knocked out because of the symbol it uses. Given. If it were the Nazi emblem, I guess I could make an exception to policy. But if a bunch of folks are getting together to celebrate unity and good relations, why get caught up over the use of a cross?

An effort to show racial solidarity in Montgomery, Ala. is under fire because the symbol being displayed as a sign of that solidarity is a cross and and that might offend non-Christians, according to WSFA-TV.

Local religious leaders started the One Movement effort to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the bus boycott that kicked off the civil rights movement. They wanted 10,000 black-and-white crosses displayed all over town.

Some in town aren't buying into the program, however.

Rev. Elizabeth O'Neill of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Montgomery says the cross is the wrong symbol and worries that people of other faiths are being excluded.


"It feels much more to me like an evangelistic crusade than a community celebration," she said.



And because one person wigs out, we have to put a damper on the whole celebration. Well, I've found a symbol we can all rally behind:

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

(W/T to Maddox for the image and Fox News for the outrageous story.)

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