NJ Town Bans Yellow Ribbons On Public Property
(Fieldsboro, NJ-AP,March 28,2003) — Fieldsboro residents can forget about putting yellow ribbons and war memorials on public property.
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Yellow ribbons and all other war memorials have been banned from public property here, a decision that has drawn criticism from residents and business owners who want to show their support for American troops fighting in Iraq.
The Fieldsboro Borough Council approved the ban last week, but Mayor Edward "Buddy" Tyler said it does not prohibit residents from placing memorials on their own property. He said that while town officials "certainly recommend" that residents show their support for the troops, there were other concerns that must be recognized.
"Where would you draw a line if you started allowing the use of public property to exhibit whatever cause anyone wanted?" Tyler told The Trentonian of Trenton for Friday's editions. "Suppose someone wants to tie pink ribbons, or black flags, or a Confederate flag or a Nazi flag on public property?"
Diane Johnson, who along with her husband owns a liquor store in this Burlington County town, said she was unaware of the new rule until the township told her to remove the yellow ribbons she placed on a sign that welcomes travelers to the borough.
"I'm shocked and outraged," Johnson said. "They didn't obstruct the sign in any way, and a lot of people with family members in the war came into the store to tell me how seeing the ribbons gave them a lift."
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
