Sharp Debate Over Crosses for Iraq War Dead in Lafayette, California

“Driving down the road this morning, I felt compelled to bring this up, because I don’t see the city enforcing this ordinance against other signs in the area,” Burlingame said. She said she doesn’t know how the city will enforce the ordinance, since it is so regularly broken and they probably won’t want to spend money to do it.

City Manager Steven Falk confirmed there are other signs that violate the sign ordinance, but that the ordinance is only enforced usually when somebody complains. Falk said there are many signs throughout Lafayette that violate the ordinance that remain up.

He said city attorneys are addressing the Iraq War Memorial sign, other signs throughout the city that violate the ordinance and what is the best option to be fair to the Clarks and everybody who breaks the sign ordinance. Falk said it will be weeks before the attorneys present their findings and recommendation to the council.

Despite the council members’ insistence that they wanted only to focus on the sign ordinance, most of the comments were addressed to the whether the display was a positive or negative way to support our troops.

Some residents said they are disgusted with the display and believe it shows a disservice to the service people who fight for our country.

“I do not consider this a memorial, because this doesn’t bring out the sense of awe, respect and immensity of sacrifice that these people have paid for,” said Lisa Disbro, a teacher from Moraga whose son is a West Point student. “This is what the hillside consists of – weeds and shoddy crosses. At West Point we have a statement, duty honor and country. In Lafayette is our statement duty, honor and weeds?”

Lafayette resident Lyn Zusman, 53, positioned the microphone toward the audience and spoke with her son Stephen Zusman beside her.

She said she was glad to see the display up recognizing the troops who have died for this country. But she asked everyone in the room to consider the soldiers who have not died and are still overseas or have returned home.

She also said that she felt the display was used to shock people, and not solely to address the troops. Instead of installing crosses, she said, she has devoted her time to tying yellow ribbons in support of the troops.

“If it stays there I’m going to be bothered by it, but God bless America,” Zusman said. Zusman said she supports free speech, and the right for the Clarks to have their display, even when she disagrees with their message. “That’s why I say God bless America,” she said.

Nik Bonovich is a political analyst and writer. He has written for the California Target Book, The Hotline, Campaigns & Elections Magazine, California Political Almanac, Capitol Weekly and Political Pulse. He has also done non-partisan polling analysis for the firm, Polimetrix. Prior to this Nik worked in politics. He got his start in politics while at C.K. McClatchy High School in his hometown of Sacramento as an intern for two Assemblymembers at the State Capitol. His experience in government brought him into the campaign arena working on various State Assembly, State Senate, U.S. House, U.S. Senate and statewide Proposition campaigns. He is currently a graduate student in Journalism at UC Berkeley and holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA in Political Science.