Posted on 02/19/2009 6:32:37 AM PST by laotzu
The alleged perpetrator might call it art. But others consider it defacing the Shrine of Texas Liberty. An Illinois man suspected of defacing the Alamo was arrested Wednesday and charged with criminal mischief after authorities witnessed him writing on the historic site’s northeast wall, police said.
Stephen Henry Wise of Evanston, Ill., remained jailed on a $2,000 bond.
“Defacing the Alamo is like desecrating a grave,” said Alamo Director David Stewart.
According to a police report, the 44-year-old suspect wrote the letters “LCC” on a patch of limestone at a corner near Avenue E and Houston Street. The wall is part of the original Long Barracks constructed by missionaries in 1724, Stewart said.
The letters, scrawled with a piece of clay or pastel art pencil, were about 8 inches high, authorities said. Alamo rangers were not sure what LCC means.
Though the letters were cleaned off the stone, the suspect still faces a state jail felony charge of damaging a public monument.
“He wasn’t your typical graffiti tagger,” said Sgt. Alfredo Gonzales, an Alamo ranger.
Gonzales said the suspect, who described himself as an artist who works for a municipal government, was apologetic and cooperative when confronted by authorities about 8:45 a.m. after a witness reported seeing the man writing on the wall.
“He did say it (the graffiti) was a project, and that some professor wanted him to put those initials on some building, so he chose that wall there,” Gonzales said.
The suspect told authorities he was unaware the wall was part of the Alamo’s original structure.
Graffiti is rare for the Alamo. Most visitors are respectful, but rangers record about two incidents every month involving people simulating the infamous incident in which heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo grounds, authorities said.
“Most are just posing for photos, but we kick them off the property,” Gonzales said.
On Jan. 1, police arrested a 23-year-old man after a park ranger observed him actually urinating at the Alamo about 2:45 a.m. Because urine is corrosive to limestone, pulling an Ozzy at the Alamo also is a state jail felony.
Hang him.
At first read, I thought the guy from Illinois was going to be Hussein or Ayers. Both have defaced America.
A hallowed grave didn't seem like the right place for me to confront some giggling idiots speaking a foreign language.
250 is CCL.
(From HS Latin, can’t subtract L.)
I don’t know why people do this. Its just disgusting. Last summer, we took a trip to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. There were several preserved log cabins and churches there. They were just like the owners left them. There was a short history of each one outside the cabins. In one, they had raised 8 kids in 2 rooms. You could still smell the smoke from the fireplace. It was such an experience to just stand in these cabins where people had lived long ago. Such an awesome feeling. But the walls of these historic homes were covered in graffiti! Hidden among all the graffiti were signs that said it is a federal offense to write on the walls. What a joke! It just made me sick that people from mostly big liberal cities had came here and defaced such a rich history of these gentle good people. I wonder how they would feel if we went there and defaced their historic buildings! I bet they wouldn’t tolerate it.
Number 1 in my book is the Punchbowl Military Cemetery overlooking Honolulu. I was there for a couple of hours and never heard anyone speak above a low whisper. Another is the cemetery at Gettysburg. I hope I get the chance to visit the 4 you mentioned some day.
What a great movie!
Amen on Culloden...the humps everywere I remember. Cumberland wouldn’t let them be buried proper, either heaps or just left where they fell.
Not to mention the slaughter and rape that followed for days after that.
The veranda at Carnton House here in Franklin is a soft spot for we Southerners. My kids are quite familiar with it.
I think the cemetaries at Normandy are pretty sentimental too and caused me a tear up.
and oddly enough, I have been to the battlefield at Boyaca and even though the end results have been left wanting, what Bolivar accomplished against Spain from Caracas to Peru in some serious terrain is remarkable...truly.
never been to Rourke’s Drift...
God bless Texas btw
Depends on who catches the idiot!
Thanks, but; a bit redundant.
Two of my relatives died at the Alamo. If I had caught this jerk defacing it, he would be missing a few body parts.
hallowed grave didn’t seem like the right place for me to confront some giggling idiots
What better place??
****heavy metal rocker Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo grounds, authorities said. ****
Any TEXAN worth his salt would have permanently made Ozzy and this graffiti vandal have to squat to pee.
Last guy that was caught urinating on the Alamo got his own TV show! Think he bit the head off a bat too!
The Presido at Goliad gives me a creepy feeling, even the chapel, but I like the Mission Espíritu Santo. We were there at a weekend event a few months ago; saw some period black powder weapons and a knapper and his son from Victoria making arrowheads.
May God forgive Texas as this is where Roe V Wade was spawned!
An understandable mistake. Most liberals think graffiti is art (unless it shows up on their building).
It has a truly sad history. I can somewhat relate.
What I found creepy was the Mexican food restaurant at the entrance.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.