Pulse Memorial's rainbow crosswalk removed overnight in Fla

[samhexum]

https://www.aol.com/pulse-memorial-rainbow-crosswalk-removed-164946207.html

A rainbow crosswalk in Orlando, Florida, that was part of the city’s Pulse Memorial was painted over by the state late Wednesday night.

[pubic_assistance]

Thats all they did as a memorial for a terrible massacre ? Paint some colors in a cross walk nearby ? Perhaps its time for a more meaningful expression of remorse and solidarity. 

[Stormy]

37 minutes ago, pubic_assistance said:

Thats all they did as a memorial for a terrible massacre ? Paint some colors in a cross walk nearby ? Perhaps its time for a more meaningful expression of remorse and solidarity. 

They have a nice memorial in Puerto Rico for the Pulse victims.  Perhaps you are right.  They deserve a memorial that people can visit and show respect for the victims. 
 

Edited yesterday at 01:12 AM by Stormy

[+ JamesB]

The National Pulse Memorial and Museum was originally planned to open around 2022, but the project never came to completion. The onePULSE Foundation, which had raised nearly $20 million, dissolved in 2023 amid criticism over high executive salaries and a lack of transparency. That same year, the City of Orlando purchased the Pulse site and created a new committee to guide the memorial’s future. The nightclub still stands for now but is slated for demolition, with a new memorial expected to open in 2027.

[Lotus-eater]

Particularly in Islam, stepping on something is a sign of disrespect, so I would think that the shooter would approve of a crosswalk as a memorial. His victims deserve something better. 

Edited yesterday at 01:10 AM by Lotus-eater

[BSR]

18 minutes ago, Lotus-eater said:

Particularly in Islam, stepping on something is a sign of disrespect, so I would think that the shooter would approve of a crosswalk as a memorial. His victims deserve something better. 

Yeah, gotta say, I never liked the crosswalk idea.  Of course the victims deserve a proper memorial.  The Pulse tragedy was more than 9 years ago, wtf??  When the memorial does finally get built, I pray they get it right.  Their families deserve at least that much.

[+ Italiano]

I was 

10 hours ago, pubic_assistance said:

Thats all they did as a memorial for a terrible massacre ? Paint some colors in a cross walk nearby ? Perhaps its time for a more meaningful expression of remorse and solidarity. 

Better than nothing. Erasing it it's shameful, but not really surprising...

[pubic_assistance]

1 hour ago, Italiano said:

Better than nothing.

Is it ? They paint these for every gay pride parade. I hardly think a joyful expression of pride is appropriate as a memorial for a hate filled massacre. 

I am happy to see it leave.

Its embarrassing to discover this was what they came up with as a so-called "memorial'. Perhaps losing it will inspire the local gay community to do better. 

[+ DrownedBoy]

11 hours ago, Lotus-eater said:

Particularly in Islam, stepping on something is a sign of disrespect

I could care less what the shooter or his idiotic religion think.

[pubic_assistance]

5 minutes ago, DrownedBoy said:

I could care less what the shooter or his idiotic religion think.

I assume you mean "couldn't" and there-in lies the problem. People SHOULD be more aware of these types and what they believe. Its a growing threat. 

[BSR]

17 hours ago, JamesB said:

The National Pulse Memorial and Museum was originally planned to open around 2022, but the project never came to completion. The onePULSE Foundation, which had raised nearly $20 million, dissolved in 2023 amid criticism over high executive salaries and a lack of transparency. That same year, the City of Orlando purchased the Pulse site and created a new committee to guide the memorial’s future. The nightclub still stands for now but is slated for demolition, with a new memorial expected to open in 2027.

Unfortunately, some (just one is already too many) nonprofits are very much for profit, for the profit of the organization’s executives in the form of exorbitant salaries and party-like-rock-stars expense accounts.  The donors have every right to know WTF happened to the $20 million, and the victims’ families all the more so.  If there was malfeasance, and there is plenty of cause to suspect there was, people must be held accountable.

[pubic_assistance]

1 minute ago, BSR said:

The donors have every right to know WTF happened to the $20 million, and the victims’ families all the more so.  

That was some VERY expensive paint on that crosswalk !! 

Edited 15 hours ago by pubic_assistance
spelling

[+ Vegas_Millennial]

It's a slippery slope.  I work with traffic engineering for a local government.  Once we start allowing non-standard crosswalks of color(s), we get requests for crosswalks with religious symbols, with colors of sports teams, with colors of flags of other countries, etc.   Therefore, we've had to say no to everybody, including GBL+, and focus on what traffic signs and markings are for: uniform communication for safety.

[+ ApexNomad]

The rainbow crosswalk was installed in 2017 with state and city support as part of the Pulse memorial. Now, under a new federal/state directive, it’s been painted over with no replacement in place. For now, the only visible public marker of remembrance at that site is gone. That is erasure in effect, whatever the stated rationale.

[BSR]

12 minutes ago, ApexNomad said:

The rainbow crosswalk was installed in 2017 with state and city support as part of the Pulse memorial. Now, under a new federal/state directive, it’s been painted over with no replacement in place. For now, the only visible public marker of remembrance at that site is gone. That is erasure in effect, whatever the stated rationale.

The foundation has had 9+ years and a budget of almost $20 million to build a memorial.  In my opinion, the foundation is 100% responsible for whatever “erasure” people might be feeling.  I suspect that a comprehensive audit of the foundation’s balance sheet will reveal a world of verrrrrrrry interesting information.

[+ ApexNomad]

1 minute ago, BSR said:

The foundation has had 9+ years and a budget of almost $20 million to build a memorial.  In my opinion, the foundation is 100% responsible for whatever “erasure” people might be feeling.  I suspect that a comprehensive audit of the foundation’s balance sheet will reveal a world of verrrrrrrry interesting information.

Two things can be true. The questions about the foundation and its stewardship are fair ones, and accountability is important. At the same time, the rainbow crosswalk had been in place for eight years as a visible marker of remembrance. Whatever the status of the foundation, removing that without a replacement in place creates a real void. Both issues deserve scrutiny, but one doesn’t erase the other.

[BSR]

35 minutes ago, ApexNomad said:

Two things can be true. The questions about the foundation and its stewardship are fair ones, and accountability is important. At the same time, the rainbow crosswalk had been in place for eight years as a visible marker of remembrance. Whatever the status of the foundation, removing that without a replacement in place creates a real void. Both issues deserve scrutiny, but one doesn’t erase the other.

I agree 100% that something provisional should be put in place while the memorial is being built.  I just don’t think a crosswalk is appropriate for the reasons cited above:  not just Muslims, I also see stepping on something as disrespectful, plus as @Vegas_Millennial points out, all sorts of groups want their own crosswalks and street signs, which distracts from their intended purpose, public safety.  How about a bronze plaque in a nearby city park?  It’s a lot more dignified than a crosswalk that people are constantly stepping on or driving over.  The plaque would remain in place even after the memorial is completed in 2028.

PS:  I am disgusted to the point of outraged that it will take 12 years for a proper memorial to be built.  I can only imagine how the victims’ families feel.