There are three of them a quarter mile down the road from here at a
particularly dangerous intersection, one on one side of the intersection and
two on the other, from two separate accidents. Two stop signs on each side
of the intersection and a speed restriction on the through road don't get
people to pay attention, maybe these will.

Best wishes,

Thomas Berry, Archivist
Historical Construction Equipment Association
16623 Liberty Hi Road
Bowling Green, Ohio 43402
Phone 419-352-5616
Fax 419-352-6086
[log in to unmask]
http://www.hcea.net

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kristina Kiper" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2003 4:35 PM
Subject: Re: Memorials


> I saw this numerous times around the Pittsburgh region
> when I lived there, usually it was in relation to a
> traffic fatality that resulted in the death of a teen.
> Also, this is a common site (albeit illegal but rarely
> enforced) in Eastern Nebraska/Western Iowa. Here it
> seems to be teenage deaths and drunk driving
> fatalities. One specific site that has garnered a lot
> of local attention for the issue, is the corner of
> 58th & L St in Omaha; this corner has been the site of
> a makeshift memorial since the death of a young driver
> probably 7-8 years ago. To my knowledge the family has
> petitioned the city of Omaha to allow them to erect a
> permanent memorial. The city has denied the request
> and the girl's mother continues to decorate that
> corner for every holiday. Friends leave carved
> pumpkins for Halloween, the light pole is decorated
> for Christmas and I assume it's the girl's birthday
> when the corner seems overrun with flowers and what
> appear to be cards or notes or banners. Everytime the
> city cleans the site away, a new memorial appears.
>
> I don't think they are a relatively new thing, I have
> heard of roadside memorials as early as the 1920s. I
> personally believe that the more noticeable profusion
> has to do with the ever increasing disposable income
> of America, especially younger members of society.
> Coupled with the youthful notion that "we are
> immortal" and the tragic and often unexplainable death
> of a young, young friend and you have a grief coping
> mechanism. This allows the friends of the deceased a
> chance to work through the wide range of emotions that
> occur. Without necessarily going to the gravesite (to
> memorialize) where only those who know and loved the
> person will ever see it. I think these roadside
> memorials are a way of crying out to society to say,
> "Don't forget _(insert name)_. He lived, he was loved
> and still is." or "I can't let her go and I want you
> to know I loved her."
>
> Personally, having lost friends in high school to both
> stupid and preventable accidents as well as absolutely
> beyond our control "acts of God", I would say these
> memorials are healthy for the people who build them,
> are a mild curiosity for those who pass them, and a
> thorn in the side of road crews who must work around,
> maintain or destroy them.
>
> On a side note, whoever suggested allowing juvenile
> delinquents run through a new museum or exhibit,
> though I doubt you were serious. I suggest you
> work/volunteer in a juvenile correction facility for a
> week or so. I'm sure you will see that a) not all
> delinquents are stupid enough to do things like slide
> down a banister and die, b) those that are stupid
> enough often will not act without the prompting of
> friends/acquaintances (who probably did not end up in
> juvvie), and c) those that would do stupid things
> would also be the ones who misbehave so badly that
> they get punished by not being allowed to leave for
> special outings. I know enough kids who were or still
> are "juvenile delinquents" or "problem children of the
> court" to say even this type of "trial by fire" would
> not eliminate all the possible "stupid acts". Even
> very bright people act on spontaneous and hasty
> thoughts without having it go through the mental
> filters that would tell them to not do it.
>
>
>
>
>
> =====
> Kris Kiper
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> It's true! It has all been said before!
>
> Why, then, do you walk as if you had swallowed a ramrod?
>                                                             Epictetus
>
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