Posted on 12/15/2001 10:52:58 AM PST by shuckmaster
A statue of Abraham Lincoln in Carle Park in Urbana, Illinois, was hit with an act of vandalism which, while not particularly damaging to the materials of the sculpture, did nothing for the image of dignity associated with our 16th president.
The vandals painted Lincoln's face white, then daubed the eyes with black paint. Local officials described the effect as looking as if Lincoln was auditioning to join the rock band KISS.
The bronze statue was installed in the park in 1927 and is green in color from the patina bronze acquires when exposed to the elements. It was created by famed sculptor Lorado Taft and depicts Lincoln as he looked as a young circuit-riding lawyer.
The statue has been a frequent target of misguided mischief in the past, according to Urbana Park District Superintendent of Operations Joseph Potts. It is located directly west of Urbana High School as well as being fairly close to the main campus of the University of Illinois.
"We've had people put a Santa hat on it or hang plastic breasts on it," he said. "It's more funny than it is destructive sometimes."
Potts said that the current attack involved only water-based paint, which was easily removed with soap and water. He added that occasional inscriptions of vulgarities with markers are considerably more difficult to remove.
The park district and city officials have had off-and-on discussions for several months over relocating the statue from Carle Park to another site, possibly downtown or to a historic site associated with Lincoln's activities in Champaign-Urbana. School officials have said they favor the move since the statue attracts students and others who gather there to smoke, forcing school janitors to clean up discarded filters on a regular basis.
A committee is being formed to look into ways to improve Carle Park, including possibly better protecting the statue, according to Renee Pollock, a member of the Urbana Park District advisory committee. Park District Executive Director Robin Hall said the neighborhood committee might want to add lighting for the statue, which he said could help deter vandalism.
Courtesy of: Civil War Interactive: The Daily Newspaper of the Civil War www.civilwarinteractive.com
The reason so many of the Yankee ass-kissers come on these threads is that they don't have the mental capacity to think for themselves, and have sold their souls to the tyranny of Political Correctness. I am proud to be Politically Incorrect, and a proud Copperhead.
Copperhead dittos from SC.
"Vandals deface statue of lawyer,crowd gathers to help! News tape at 11:00."
Lincoln made tough choices during a terrible time and we are ONE country now (except for those that would want it otherwise). . .
As a third-party observer of this exchange, may I say that the average person would have no idea of what the hell you are talking about? You have not sufficiently drawn an analogy between the civil-liberties-suspending proclivities of one of history's most notable bipolars, and the actions of Reagan and Dub.
Oh, well that makes it alright then. He walked all over the Constitution and (could you please refresh my memory on this?) for what again? So he could have one little union and not go down in history as the POTUS that lost 1/3 of the nation because constitutionally they had the right to do so?
What so we can just blindly push forward into the future without learning from the past? I think a few more people who call themselves 'conservatives' should start looking at the historical fact instead of the propaganda machine from the north and see this mad man for what he actually was. A petty vindictive tantrum throwing whiner who didn't agree with one part of the nation over taxation, and instead of following in the footsteps of great men like Jefferson(who wished Massachusetts goodwill when they considered seceding in 1803), and trounced over the Constitution less than 90 years after it was written. And for what I ask you? Money!!
The truth can be harsh sometimes.
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