Gravestone display offends some...that live about a mile away.

[fuzzykitten99]

Nancy Bowring is among a dozen neighbors off Mill Road in Centerville who thinks a Halloween display has unacceptable sexual puns. "I just find it offensive," Bowring says. "I think it clearly crosses the line."

"Yeah, maybe it's inappropriate. I think it's funny," said Heather Pranke, who put up the display. "We haven't done anything wrong. There are no swear words. They are strictly names."

The tombstones have names that allude to sexual organs or acts. The names include: Mike Hunt, Ben Dover, and Phil McCraken -- among others.

The mayor of Centerville said she will be working with the council Tuesday to see if the city can forcibly remove the tombstones. City officials are determining if the the decorations violate the city's nuisance ordinance.

Pranke has refused to take down the display. She says her immediate neighbors have never complained.

"If you don't like it, don't look at it," said Cindy Bohm, she lives next door to Pranke’s home.

But at least ten residents from the area have filed complaints with the city this year, and police were called last year to ask Pranke to voluntarily remove the tombstones. She did not.

"When it's right on the street and their (our children's) bus goes right by it, we don't have much to say," said Bowring. Her concern has been her children, who have begun to ask her about the tombstones and the name's meaning.

"An 8-year-old is not going to understand what that means," said Prankle.
But 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS found some children did understand the meaning.

"I like Hugh Jass the best," said AJ Knollmarer, 11 year-old.

Despite the complaints, Pranke said she will keep the tombstones up, until the city forces her to take them down.

I look at it this way...if you think your kid is too young, and they don't understand the meaning, then just tell them its a name, that's all.

*However, if your kid has watched any past episodes of the Simpsons, s/he may have already heard these names due to Bart's prank calls to Moe.*

This story was discussed this morning on the 92KQRS morning show too, and not only did the owner of the house call in, most of the immediate neighbors did too. Several stated the news stations had to go about a mile down the road both ways to find someone who was offended. So far, 10 people out of a population of about 3,200 have bitched. That is way too many people without a sense of humor, or common sense about their kids.

Personally, I plan on driving out there, just to see them, and maybe get pictures with the owner's permission. I think they're too funny!


http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S11523.html?cat=1
scroll down on this link to click & watch the video: http://www.kstp.com/

 

[GotZoom]

I went to elementary school with a kid named Mike Hunt. Not Michael, but Mike.

The teachers were embarrassed; and we didn't know why until 6th grade.

 

[Hagbard Celine]

Alarmism run amok. "Protect the children! Protect the children at any cost including sacrificing everything else, severing community relationships and cutting-off my own nose to spite my neighbor!" Kyle's mom from Southpark is the perfect charicature of the alarmist parent. No thought goes into complaints like this at all. It's all just rage and indignation. And I'd imagine there's a little bit of underlying jealousy, maybe even subconscious jealousy, that they didn't think of the tombstones first.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

I went to elementary school with a kid named Mike Hunt. Not Michael, but Mike.

The teachers were embarrassed; and we didn't know why until 6th grade.

his parents were either very naive, or they had a cruel sense of humor (and possibly didn't like their child)...

 

[The ClayTaurus]

his parents were either very naive, or they had a cruel sense of humor (and possibly didn't like their child)...

You know what the worst name for a girl would be?

Sally Mander. Can you imagine 1st grade?

 

[GotZoom]

I wouldn't mind having the name Petty Cash.

Just imagine all the checks I could cash...........

 

[The ClayTaurus]

I wouldn't mind having the name Petty Cash.

Just imagine all the checks I could cash...........

Too true...

 

[insein]

LMAO that is funny. Its also funny that the woman's last name is Pranke. How ironic.

It also further proves my point from the other thread that people, like ScreamingEagle, just want to run people's lives. So a small minority of offended people can't just ignore it, they have to complain to the government to go spank these people.

 

[Johnney]

seems they dont know what the kids are learning at school from other kids now days! how was it put to me... freedom of expression?

 

[Trigg]

Good lord, some people need to go in search of a sense of humor. :chillpill