Veterans withdraw controversial poem

The board of directors of the WNC Veterans Memorial has announced that it’s withdrawing a controversial poem, instead proposing two new inscriptions for the memorial, which is slated to be erected in the renovated City/County Plaza.

In a Dec. 17 press release, the group stated that it “wishes to avoid controversy regarding the Veterans Memorial,” which is “dedicated to peace, liberty, freedom as well as veterans. Since hundreds of the public have donated funds for construction of the memorial, the board has worked very hard to please all of the communtiy.”

Asheville’s Public Art Board, which is charged with approving the design, recently asked the veterans’ group to modify the poem or find another one. In the press release, the memorial’s board of directors says that it should decide the content of the monument, having “fought for the design and raised funding for [it] for the past six years.”

The originally chosen poem, “It is the Veteran” by Charles Province, had drawn criticism from those who felt it was too militaristic and denigrated other professions. Supporters of the poem maintained that it simply highlighted veterans’ contributions. (See “The Writing on the Wall,” Nov. 7 Xpress, and “Poetry Wars,” Dec. 12 Xpress.)

The memorial board now proposes two inscriptions, one on each pylon of the memorial:

Dedicated to those who gave us
Peace, Liberty and Freedom
And To Those Who Have
Preserved It

If we cannot do them honor
While they’re here to hear the praise
Then at least let’s give them homage
At the ending of their days.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “Veterans withdraw controversial poem

  1. DonM

    Indeed, Ralph, indeed. There was a ray of hope that they would do the right thing. The PC shadow in this town is dark and ignorant, though.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.