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''It was a united community saying that the historical significance of our shield shouldn't be tampered with. Any similar attempts would meet with the same resistance.'' Graham said he was equally pleased to hear of Clarke's decision. He said he also has spread the news. ''All I can say is I'm very, very happy about it,'' Graham said. ''We've all been trying to get the word out. The reaction is that everyone seems real pleased about it.'' Clarke said he never felt threatened, but he was becoming uncomfortable. He said some residents had trouble keeping their emotions in check, and that led to a couple of minor confrontations, including a couple of drive-by shoutings. ''I talked to people on the street, at the gas station, at the post office, at the grocery store,'' Clarke said. ''I had a couple of shout-outs from the younger people as they drove by. One yelled, 'I love the cross,' and another said, 'Get a life.' Things like that make you uncomfortable.'' v LaNia Coleman is a staff writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach her at 776-9690. Vandalism damages crosses in Frankenmuth resident's yard by The Saginaw News Monday May 12, 2008, 8:36 AM Wayne N. Bronner of Frankenmuth said it doesn't bother him that someone would destroy his personal property, though he is troubled that someone "would stoop so low to destroy a religious symbol" on his lawn. Bronner said he put up two wooden crosses -- as did many people across the city -- in protest of Lloyd C. Clarke's effort to remove city crosses from the city's seal and city property. Clarke ceased his effort against the crosses on Saturday. Bronner on Sunday morning said he found the estimated 2-foot high crosses on his lawn destroyed. Bronner said he felt his property was targeted because no other crosses in the city were destroyed. He has since made two more crosses to replace them. The new ones are about 3 feet high, he said. Editorial: A fortunate ending by The Saginaw News Thursday May 15, 2008, 12:45 PM With Lloyd C. Clarke throwing in the towel, let's hope all the hubbub over Frankenmuth's crosses can end. And none too soon, apparently. Emotions were running pretty high over Clarke's successful attempt to remove foot-tall crosses on the Main Street bridge and his unsuccessful attempt to remove a cross from the city's shield. The city was right to remove the bridge crosses from public property. Taking it off the shield is another story, however, as the community could've made a strong legal case based on its history -- Lutheran missionaries founded the city in 1845. To Clarke's credit, he was civil -- polite even -- during the entire affair and, in the end, complimented those opposed to his actions. The controversy isn't about winners and losers, though. Clarke had every right to protest, and he demonstrated the courage of his convictions. Frankenmuth residents showed what a united community can do, peacefully, when they perceive a threat to their way of life. For all of us, too, it heightened our awareness of our nation's Constitution and how it so eloquently applied to both government and religion when the two collided. Consider us fortunate. |