Draft Dodgers Monument Ditched After Outcry

Fox News ^ | Sunday, October 03, 2004 | Fox News staff

[TheMole]

Draft Dodgers Monument Ditched After Outcry

Sunday, October 03, 2004

Plans for a bronze monument honoring American draft dodgers in Nelson, British Columbia, have been scrapped.

The mayor of Nelson, who initially said his town was the right place for the "Our Way Home" festival and statue, has changed his tune.

"We don't want to do controversial monuments in the city of Nelson, that's the bottom line. If this does not have wide community support, then we don't want to create controversy within the city," Mayor Dave Elliott told FOX News.

The monument might have avoided conflict if it were not for FOX News' viewers. After the initial story aired on FOX News Channel, hundreds of Americans fired off angry e-mails to Nelson officials. The response was so overwhelming that it was picked up by the Canadian media, putting pressure on the "Our Way Home" organizers to find a new home for their event or scrap it altogether.

The issue has been page one news in Nelson for more than a week and has divided this small town, which is home to both former draft dodgers and to businesses that depend on American tourists.

"The business community is clearly unhappy about this, primarily because they're seeing effects immediately. There are cancellations and long-time visitors saying they're not going to return to Nelson," said the town's Chamber of Commerce manager Roy Heuckendorff.

[TheMole]

Excerpted as required by Fox News. The remainder of the article is here.

[Chi-townChief]

Niiiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!

[bannie]

The little chickadee Canadian who was on FOX was so snobbishly, foolishly superior. She was worth a great laugh. After she was called on being a horrible neighbor by honoring our traitors, she ended by saying that the interviewer was as gracious as she had expected him to be.

The funny part was that she had been so rude and UNgracious.

:) That was a fun event....now, I'm happy that the little lady has MORE egg on her face.

:D

[bannie]

The little chickadee Canadian who was on FOX was so snobbishly, foolishly superior. She was worth a great laugh. After she was called on being a horrible neighbor by honoring our traitors, she ended by saying that the interviewer was as gracious as she had expected him to be.

The funny part was that she had been so rude and UNgracious.

:) That was a fun event....now, I'm happy that the little lady has MORE egg on her face.

:D

[walford]

This whole 'controversy' never offended me. It's the same thing as being angry that a dog barks at you while you pass its yard.

So some Canadians wanted to 'make a statement' to p*ss us off. Is that the best that they could do? That's the totality of their contribution to humanity?

I'm only embarrassed for them.