For the past two decades, roads became more than a medium of transportation. They turned into places that hold symbolic meaning to certain families in the form of roadside memorials. Roadside memorials are stone markers that serve the purpose of honoring the lives of those killed in automobile accidents. They usually take the shape of a Christian cross, whereby the name of the deceased is carved in the cross’s horizontal line. Normally surrounding the memorial are flowers and other gifts to illustrate grief. This stone is situated at the location of the person’s death. Roadside memorials are put there by the family and relatives of the victim as a method of immortalizing their memory. It reassures them that although the person has died, their memory continues to live. However, roadside memorials create a lot of controversy. Some believe they are a noble act keeping drivers reminded of the dangers of reckless driving. Yet others believe they should be banned for being a source of distraction on the road, as well as a violation to laws, specifically the one stating religious symbols should not be in public grounds. However, with the application of some restrictions, roadside memorials should not be banned because of their benefits.
According to the article "Roadside Memorials" those memorials only became famous about twenty years ago even though they existed for more than two centuries (Collins and Rhine 223). While gaining their popularity, they generated several criticisms, one being that they are distracting to drivers. Opponents of the memorial claim that bright colored flowers, messages conveying someone's sudden death and religious symbols, such as the cross are all factors that would grab the driver's attention. Therefore, ...
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... while at the same time the opponents to the idea of roadside memorials would not raise anymore concerns.
Works Cited
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"Grieving California Mom Takes down Cross on Road after Group's Protest, More Appear." Fox News. FOX News Network, 7 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Klaassens, Mirjam, Peter Groote, and Paulus P. P. Huigen. "Roadside Memorials From A Geographical Perspective." Mortality 14.2 (2009): 187-201. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Apr. 2014
"Roadside Memorials." Transportation.wv.gov. State of West Virginia, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
The Canadian Press ~ The News. "University of Calgary study says no safety downside to roadside memorials." Ngnews.Ca. TC Media, 8 Nov. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
Suter, Keith. “Roadside Memorials: Sacred Places in a Secular Era.” Contemporary Review 292.1692 (Spring 2010): 51+. Psychology Collection. EBSCO: Academic Onefile. Web. 24 Mar. 2011.
In the poem “Unveiling” by Linda Pastan, the speaker's point of view is from an older woman who is walking through a cemetery and admiring her deceased family members. Pastan uses allusion, enjambment and imagery to display to the reader what the speaker is feeling and thinking, as she explores her family members’ graves.
Ever take a midnight train to Georgia? No, well ever drive through Georgia? When driving through Georgia on State Road 49, there is a little town called Andersonville that is very easy to miss. To many it is just another town. Yet this town has its own trail. The Andersonville Trail is a small brown dirt road that leads visitors to the Andersonville National Historic Site (Roberts xi). This National Historic Site looks like a “well- tended” national cemetery. On closer examination, this cemetery is nothing like Arlington (Roberts xi). “In this national cemetery, the marble headstones are so close together, they almost touch. The markers appear to be one long head...
First off, simply taking down these memorials and moving them so they are out of sight is not sophisticated. These memorials are retained to glorify the people who fought not to serve as a tool to propaganda the public. The dead should not die in vain even if they lost the war. No matter what they are fighting for, their fearless spirit should be memorized forever. The faces and names of these fallen Southern men speak not of slavery and oppression, but also of courage and the power of change. More importantly, these memorials themselves
History has a strange way of coming back around when it comes to human civilization. It has been said repeatedly that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it. However, just because there is a potential for danger in the future, this does not mean that humanity must ignore what once was. History is normally remembered through what is known as a memorial. When a memorial is put into a physical representation, it is then known as a monument.The need to memorialize events or people is complex; in some cases, monuments honor moments of great achievement, while in other cases, monuments pay homage to deep sacrifice. A monument's size, location, and materials are all considerations in planning and creating a memorial to the past. Examples of such feats are the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and even Mount Rushmore. For the latter of the
...cestors and past figures of the town. People work incredibly hard on the upkeep and records of the cemetery, which brings a sense of pride and community togetherness. The oldest recorded cemetery in Nebraska certainly is a spectacular landmark to our state.
A contributing factor that agencies and groups should consider when building a monument is the purpose. When Maya Lin, an architect, was planning to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC, she believed that "the use of names was a way to bring back everything someone could remember about a person" (Source G). Lin decided to choose names rather than photos or pictures because visual arts will not be able to describe what every veteran has done during the war. She wanted to commemorate every single soldier that fought during the war rather than leave mere glimpses of the war. However, other times the purpose is clouded like it was on Lincoln's memorial: "Why make a pilgrimage to a site with no historical significance to read a text that was already everywhere? The answer is simple: the monument manufactures its own aura" (Source A). Parts of the Gettysburg address was reproduced onto the monument, however, the purpose is to remind others about Lincoln's achievements. By bringing in the most important aspects of the Gettysburg address, the people who visit ...
In the midst of one of the busiest cities in the world, there lies a sanctuary. There lies an area where all men are equal, where poverty is non-existent, where all men are united under two things; the first being death and the second being America. Arlington National Cemetery is a tribute to all of the fallen heroes, the patriots, the soldiers, the pioneers, all who have cried American tears. I have been forever changed since visiting Arlington National Cemetery and it is a visit that every American should make. The statistics are truly mind-numbing, as more than four hundred thousand people have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery since the 1860s.
As the birds are singing their sweet melody, the terrain of Arlington National Cemetery is filled with sadness. Although the brilliant rays of sun are shinning through the thick colossal treetops, there is a chill in the air. While watching the mourners, the feeling of their sorrows is all too real.
I repose in this quiet and secluded spot, not from any natural preference for solitude; but finding other cemeteries limited as to race, by charter rules, I have chosen this that I might illustrate in my death the principles which I advocated through a long life, equality of man before the Creator.
Cole, Tim. "Crematoria, Barracks, Gateway." History & Memory 25.2 (2013): 102-131. History Reference Center. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
While listing important factors, one of the greatest points to make is the impact that a monument will have on others. Such an impact is desired for memorials of soldiers lost in war, or other noble people who sacrificed for their country. For example, Source G states, “It would be an interface, between our world and the quieter, darker, more peaceful world beyond. …I never looked at the memorial as a wall, an object, but as an edge to the earth, an open side. …The
1. The cemeteries are full of people who thought they were “Ok to drive” along
While most people use the terms interchangeably, there’s actually a significant difference between the two. A monument is “a lasting evidence, reminder, or example of someone or something notable or great” while a memorial is something “serving to preserve remembrance.” When put like this, it reveals that this is really a debate over whether these statues are monuments or memorials. While they were certainly built as monuments to the south, I believe they've transformed into memorials. Instead of glorifying confederate heroes and southern nationalism as they originally did, today they are instead they constant reminders of how far Americans can go to protect their social dominance. If you erase history, you’ll never truly understand it. It’s also disrespectful to the men who fought as well. Many people nowadays seem to forget that those who fought for the Confederacy were still Americans, and to say they were all evil racist slave owners would just be a lie. While there were plenty of racist planters who supported the Confederacy, they weren't the ones fighting. The soldiers fighting were often young, adventurous men who had no idea what they were getting into; falling victim to the romantic depictions of war prevalent at the time, only to discover that war isn’t as fun as the papers say it is. They deserve to be memorialized just as much as union soldiers
Phillips, Jayne A. "Crowding Out Death." New York Times 13 Jan. 1985: n. pag. Web. Web. 10 May 2014.