Grady girls stole flowers from roadside memorial?

[lilwriter85]

The girls taking those flowers is just stupid. If they had done that here in New Mexico where I live and if someone saw them, they might have gotten called out on it. In New Mexico, roadside memorials are referred to as descansos which is from the Spanish word descansar which means to rest. Roadside memorials here originated way back during the Spanish colonial periods in which people made cross markers during journeys in which people died. Descansos are considered to be an important part of New Mexico culture and there is even a state law saying that cross or other memorial markers can't be removed. People here respect them and even people on private roads or at businesses allow descansos to stand. Families of the deceased maintain the descansos regularly. A family friend of mine, lost his daughter ten years ago in a car accident. He puts flowers on the memorial for his daughter's birthday and the anniversary of her death.

What the Grady girls did irks me.

[She Who Laughs]

While it is certainly thoughtless, stupid, uncaring, immature, etc. I wouldn't go so far as to call it stealing. It would be like leaving a box of money by the side of the road and then coming back and expecting it to be there and when it isn't, calling the person a thief who took it. Purposely leaving something on public land and expecting it to stay there just isn't realistic. In my state, groups of volunteers who do roadside clean up are instructed to remove roadside markers, fake flowers, etc. as it is considered litter the same as anything else.

[emmiedahl]

The girls taking those flowers is just stupid. If they had done that here in New Mexico where I live and if someone saw them, they might have gotten called out on it. In New Mexico, roadside memorials are referred to as descansos which is from the Spanish word descansar which means to rest. Roadside memorials here originated way back during the Spanish colonial periods in which people made cross markers during journeys in which people died. Descansos are considered to be an important part of New Mexico culture and there is even a state law saying that cross or other memorial markers can't be removed. People here respect them and even people on private roads or at businesses allow descansos to stand. Families of the deceased maintain the descansos regularly. A family friend of mine, lost his daughter ten years ago in a car accident. He puts flowers on the memorial for his daughter's birthday and the anniversary of her death.

What the Grady girls did irks me.

We have a large Hispanic population in my town as well, and roadside memorials are commonplace.

[NurseNell]

Some states are outlawing roadside memorials, as a hazard, but I don't think it's stopping the practice.

[NurseNell]

While it is certainly thoughtless, stupid, uncaring, immature, etc. I wouldn't go so far as to call it stealing. It would be like leaving a box of money by the side of the road and then coming back and expecting it to be there and when it isn't, calling the person a thief who took it. Purposely leaving something on public land and expecting it to stay there just isn't realistic. In my state, groups of volunteers who do roadside clean up are instructed to remove roadside markers, fake flowers, etc. as it is considered litter the same as anything else.

No one leaves a box of money on the roadside. People leave flowers at accident scenes all the time.

[gustava]

No one leaves a box of money on the roadside. People leave flowers at accident scenes all the time.

Agreed.

[CanadianHippie]

Looks like they couldn't take the head, that post is gone.

[browncoatslytherin]

Looks like they couldn't take the head, that post is gone.

lol i was going crazy looking for it and then thought, "maybe i should read the rest of the thread and see if they took it down"

should've read the rest of the thread first, would've saved me the trouble :P

[flojo]

lol i was going crazy looking for it and then thought, "maybe i should read the rest of the thread and see if they took it down"

should've read the rest of the thread first, would've saved me the trouble :P

For once I'm glad for a taken down blog...

[Deleted03]

No one leaves a box of money on the roadside. People leave flowers at accident scenes all the time.

how sheltered do you have to be, to be unaware of that???

[formergothardite]

Judging from the way the one sister acted so guilty about taking the flowers, they knew, they just decided to pretend that it was some crazy reason instead of the logical one to make themselves feel better. I guess they didn't expect to have readers who would call them out on it.

[She Who Laughs]

No one leaves a box of money on the roadside. People leave flowers at accident scenes all the time.

My point was that leaving anything by the side of the road or the ditch and then saying a person who takes it has stolen it is just stupid. Taking something from the roadside that someone else has left there is a lot of things, but certainly not stealing. In my area, the person leaving the items alongside the road is the one who is committing a crime and if caught by a sheriff or troopers, they can be fined or warned the same as if they were throwing a bag of garbage into the ditch. The people taking the stuff would be seen as doing a public service.

My feeling is that memorials should be kept in the cemetery or on private property and not along the roadside where they often become crappy looking eyesores.

[Conuly]

No one leaves a box of money on the roadside. People leave flowers at accident scenes all the time.

Actually, around here it's common to find single bouquets of flowers with 5 or 10 dollar bills carefully tucked inside. I don't think these are for memorials, though.

[formergothardite]

Actually, around here it's common to find single bouquets of flowers with 5 or 10 dollar bills carefully tucked inside. I don't think these are for memorials, though.

What are they for?

There are memorials left and right around here. There is one that even has a little fence around it. I think a child died there in a car accident a couple of years ago. And it would be greatly frowned upon to take something from a roadside memorial.

[Angri-la]

My feeling is that memorials should be kept in the cemetery or on private property and not along the roadside where they often become crappy looking eyesores.

That's your opinion, but I absolutely do not agree with you. Every time I see one, I say a small prayer; that is someone who has been loved and lost, and is still obviously loved and mourned.

Would you tear down my sister's memorial by the lake she drowned in? It is public property, and might end up looking unattractive during parts of the year, as it is in another state from where my family now lives?

[She Who Laughs]

That's your opinion, but I absolutely do not agree with you. Every time I see one, I say a small prayer; that is someone who has been loved and lost, and is still obviously loved and mourned.

Would you tear down my sister's memorial by the lake she drowned in? It is public property, and might end up looking unattractive during parts of the year, as it is in another state from where my family now lives?

If where you live it is allowed and isn't considered littering, then so be it. If it was in my area where it is illegal to have them and alongside the road I travel and have to look at every day, I'd definitely take it down.

They go up and come back down pretty quickly around here and most people try to put them up at night when they are less likely to be caught doing it. Volunteer clean-up crews take them down all the time. You'd think people would get a clue and put them up where they are legal.

[Koala]

We see those all the time here, and they are left alone. I recently saw a family redecorating one for the holidays (they are often changed for birthdays or Christmas) and it absolutely broke my heart. I can't imagine feeling like that was one of the few things you had left that you could do for a loved one. I really can't imagine decorating something like that only to have some selfish little fundie come and steal it. So very sad, and imo they shouldn't be moved.

I believe those girls knew exactly what they were doing, but the older one wanted them, so she made up a fundie la la land story and took them. My favorite was the flower delivery guy that had too many, so he threw them out the window. :shock: I mean WTF? Flowers are generally held in the BACK of a delivery truck, and they only have what was ordered. Is the little twit honestly going to try to convince us that she thinks the man got out of his truck, went to the back (in freezing cold no less), to retrieve the flowers and throw them on the side of the road? Really? I guess god probably laid it on his heart to do it, so he could "bless" her family with the flowers. :roll: Okay chic, whatever gets your little thieving self through the day.

[Angri-la]

If where you live it is allowed and isn't considered littering, then so be it. If it was in my area where it is illegal to have them and alongside the road I travel and have to look at every day, I'd definitely take it down.

They go up and come back down pretty quickly around here and most people try to put them up at night when they are less likely to be caught doing it. Volunteer clean-up crews take them down all the time. You'd think people would get a clue and put them up where they are legal.

Huh. Glad you're not my neighbor or in the state where my sister's memorial is.

[Koala]

If where you live it is allowed and isn't considered littering, then so be it. If it was in my area where it is illegal to have them and alongside the road I travel and have to look at every day, I'd definitely take it down.

They go up and come back down pretty quickly around here and most people try to put them up at night when they are less likely to be caught doing it. Volunteer clean-up crews take them down all the time. You'd think people would get a clue and put them up where they are legal.

Yeah, that's a real shame that you have to be reminded of the tragedies of other people so often...bless you heart, it must be awful :( :roll:

Those families probably do it just to annoy you!

ETA~ We're not exactly talking about throwing a McDonald's wrapper on the side of the road here...the term "litter" is really insulting.

[She Who Laughs]

That's what cemeteries are for. I lost a brother to a motorcycle accident on a california highway. We prefer to place flowers at his grave and remember him in our hearts.

[She Who Laughs]

Yeah, that's a real shame that you have to be reminded of the tragedies of other people so often...bless you heart, it must be awful :( :roll:

Those families probably do it just to annoy you!

ETA~ We're not exactly talking about throwing a McDonald's wrapper on the side of the road here...the term "litter" is really insulting.

The term litter is what our area considers it to be and when the offender actually gets a ticket (instead of just a warning), along with their name in the local paper is their crime which was littering.

[Angri-la]

Bless your lil heart.

[Koala]

That's what cemeteries are for. I lost a brother to a motorcycle accident on a california highway. We prefer to place flowers at his grave and remember him in our hearts.

Oh, well if you prefer it, then that totally settles it.

[Koala]

The term litter is what our area considers it to be and when the offender actually gets a ticket (instead of just a warning), along with their name in the local paper is their crime which was littering.

that's a damn shame.

[NurseNell]

That's your opinion, but I absolutely do not agree with you. Every time I see one, I say a small prayer; that is someone who has been loved and lost, and is still obviously loved and mourned.

Would you tear down my sister's memorial by the lake she drowned in? It is public property, and might end up looking unattractive during parts of the year, as it is in another state from where my family now lives?

I too always say a prayer when I see a roadside memorial. Such memorials serve two purposes, they are in memory of a real living person who met their death, and they remind us we don't know when our end is coming. Often you'll see multiple memories at a site, which always remind me to be extra careful because that site is a dangerous site.

I'm sorry your sister drowned Angri-La. I remember seeing the lifeguards when I was a child working on a girl who had drowned, and that image has stayed with me all these years.