2001-02-05 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Mr. Hunter Burns, a third year University of Virginia law student, said that the monument has great significance for all of us, and he supports it. Mr. Bums said it will be a beautiful work of art and will go well with the downtown mall. Mr. Burns said he also likes the fact that it will be privately financed. Ms. Jill Hartz, Director of the Bayley Art Museum, a member of the committee that chose the proposed design, ~said that the monument will make us a community of artists and will provide the opportunity to share our community. Ms. Hartz read comments favoring the monument from Rita Dove ("wholehearted support"), Rita Mae Brown ("great idea, high class gossip central"), Sissy Spacek ("creates stage for creative performance"), and Evan Thomas ("outlet to express opinions"). Mr. Jock Yellott, 311 E. Market Street, said he favors the monument and suggested that it have removable panels so vandalism can be dealt with. Mr. George King, III, 421 10 1/2 Street, N.W., said he favors the monument and feels it will engender constitutional respect. Mr. King said he thinks citizens' community responsibility will ensure its success. Ms. Sarah Sargeant, member of the monument selection committee and former director of Second Street Gallery, said she admires the design and the public interaction of the monument appealed to the committee. Ms. Sargeant said that once the novelty wears off she thinks obscenity will decline. Ms. Sargeant said we must take the bad with the good in order to be free, and she feels the pros outweigh the negatives. Mr. Robert Winstead and Mr. Peter O'Shea, architects who design the monument, said that a recent e-mail showing the proposed monument on the mall misrepresented the proposal. Ms. Nishi Mohammed, media coordinator for the Rutherford Institute, said that you cannot overlook the monument being a civic lesson. Mr. Bill Chapman, publisher of Cville Weekly, encouraged Council to act favorably on the proposed modem design. Mr. Breck Gastinger, 21 t Monte Vista Avenue, spoke in favor of the monument. Mr. Gastinger said Charlottesville has the opportunity to install a living fluid idea. Mr. Gastinger said censorship will be part of the process because people will be able to erase comments they find objectionable. Mr. Emie Reed, 610 Farish Street, Director of the Living Education Center, said the beauty, wisdom and humor of the proposed monument hold the greatest charm for him. Mr. Salsbury, a Fluvanna County resident, said the City has the opportunity to show what free speech really is. Ms. Barbara Meriwether, 106 Locust Lane Court, opposed the monument. Ms. Meriwether said that history has taught her that words do not go away, and many citizens will be deeply affected. Ms. Meriwether asked that teachers be involved in f'mding another way to let this monument take place. Ms. Meriwether said the chalkboard is the most disturbing aspect of the monument, and asked that Council discontinue consideration of the proposal. Ms. Tara Grant, a University of Virginia law student specializing in first amendment law, Said she is a strong supporter of the monument and the most appealing aspect is the chance to create an interactive monument to the first amendment. Ms. Hillary Innis, Westwood Road, a Charlottesville High School student, said she supports the monument and has faith in youth, and said it will allow youth to speak or write their ideas without facing people.