I don't know much about how other people on this list think about memorials or historical markers to their ancestors. But I have always had trouble with negative monuments. I also have some sympathy for the Heritage Preservation Commission's mission. A lot of our culture is represented in our architecture and many people have an intense sentimental attachment to buildings. If we don't perserve our past, we can easily forget it.
But the controversy over the River-Lake Tabernacle is a fool's errand. Sure it is history. But I don't need to be reminded of how uncomfortable Jewish people were made to feel in this town in the past. I used to spent a lot of time in the "men's health club" at the Mpls Jewish Community Center. On the wall they had a map of the old Northside which showed all of the historical landmarks for that community. Brochin's Deli, the "Turkish" bath on Dupont, the various synogogues, and the stores that people shopped in. The other memorial was a photo of the Lincoln Jr. High School graduating class of 1957. Someone put up a list of the names of the people and exhorted others to fill in the blanks of those that they remembered. These two memorials were genuine. There was no Jewish HPC who mandated the placement of these markers. I used to engage some of the alumni of Lincoln JHS about the map and the photo. They would wax eloquently about the buildings and the institutions. Then they remember the people. Isn't that what memorials are about? The Mpls HPC is well meaning and as passionate about their mission as the JCC's Men's Health Club. But isn't history part commentary? Framed in a set of assumptions that insist on capturing everything about the past, it gets straitjacketed in political correctness. Whenever I think about old Luke Radar and his tabernacle I have to laugh. My friend's son married Luke's great granddaughter. His great grandmother left some Polish shtetl and came to New York in steerage. She probably brought all those Jewish diseases that Luke railed about on the radio. Now if you are going to put up a sign, why don't you put that on it? David Wilson Loring Park On Wed, 30 Oct 2002, DeWayne Townsend wrote: > I agree with Steve. We should not hide or disregard these events. > > DeWayne Townsend > Cooper > > > Regarding the "memorial" for the River-Lake Tabernacle, everyone > > seems to be assuming that a "memorial" means a saying something nice > > about something not very nice. Why not a memorial that says "On this > > spot the River-Lake Tabernacle used to exist. For 50 years, it preached > > anti-Semitism now known as a disgraceful episode in the history of the > > city." Just because it's a "memorial" doesn't mean that you're > > commemorating something positive. It may actually be more important to > > remember the revolting things that happen in history so that they are > > not repeated. > > > > One example, I understand that in Duluth a memorial is being placed > > where several blacks were lynched about 100 years ago. Duluth is doing > > that to remind everyone of the effect of racism. It might be > > appropriate in Minneapolis to say somewhere, "Remember that this was > > once a very anti-Semitic city. Don't let it happen again." > > _______________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
