New Plaza Signs

[SoonerCoug]

This is great. The Church just put up new signs on the Main Street Plaza that say: "Private property. The Church reserves the right to deny access to any person for any reason." It's unfortunate that they left off the traditional "Visitors Welcome" at the bottom of the new sign. It would have been a nice touch.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13439935

Imagine Christ saying: "I reserve the right to deny access to any person for any reason." I can't really envision that, although he did freak out when he saw money changers at the temple.

[SloanHater]

This is great. The Church just put up new signs on the Main Street Plaza that say: "Private property. The Church reserves the right to deny access to any person for any reason." It's unfortunate that they left off the traditional "Visitors Welcome" at the bottom of the new sign. It would have been a nice touch.

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13439935

Imagine Christ saying: "I reserve the right to deny access to any person for any reason." I can't really envision that, although he did freak out when he saw money changers at the temple.

What would be your suggestion to the Church?
The Church is obviously reacting to a specific situation, but it seems there are many people unaware of the fact that the Plaza is not a public park.

[SeattleUte]

What would be your suggestion to the Church?
The Church is obviously reacting to a specific situation, but it seems there are many people unaware of the fact that the Plaza is not a public park.

Stop waging war on gays?

[FN Phat]

What would be your suggestion to the Church?
The Church is obviously reacting to a specific situation, but it seems there are many people unaware of the fact that the Plaza is not a public park.

You sir, took the bait. Hook, line and sinker!

[SloanHater]

Stop waging war on gays?

They may be waging war on smokers, but I didn't see anything about gays.

Edit: Sooner left out this part. "LDS Church spokesman Scott Trotter said Monday that "some additional text was added to the signs" at the "suggestion of the Salt Lake City Prosecutor's Office."

[FN Phat]

They may be waging war on smokers, but I didn't see anything about gays.

That is a bit redundant

[myboynoah]

Imagine Christ saying: "I reserve the right to deny access to any person for any reason." I can't really envision that, although he did freak out when he saw money changers at the temple.

Sometimes this stuff just writes itself.

[Solon]

What would be your suggestion to the Church?
The Church is obviously reacting to a specific situation, but it seems there are many people unaware of the fact that the Plaza is not a public park.

Good call. It's probably best to keep reminding ourselves of the completely legitimate way that the plaza became private property.

[myboynoah]

Good call. It's probably best to keep reminding ourselves of the completely legitimate way that the plaza became private property.

I honestly can't remember how this happened. Didn't the church swap some land with the city? I'm sure it is probably more complicated than that, but essentially wasn't there some kind of swap?

[UtahDan]

Good call. It's probably best to keep reminding ourselves of the completely legitimate way that the plaza became private property.

This is at the root of my feeling about it. I think the church absolutely has the right to do as it pleases with its private property. It is not a public forum. The problem, of course, is that it used to be and traditionally was a public forum that was open to the public for any legal use and subject only to local laws which were constitutionally required to be content neutral.

I distinctly recall that when this all went down, the idea that the church was going to somehow start excluding people from that area was poo-pooed, but here it is. Whats more, the church now has a giant bulls-eye painted on that location inviting civil disobedience from a group (whether you agree with them or not) who have the motivation that a belief that their cause is just and righteous brings. This is not over by any stretch and will be a source of contention and embarrassment for years to come.

In some ways I feel like the chickens are coming home to roost. How hard would it have been to say "we made a mistake, and while our teachings regarding the proper organization and role of the family are clear, we do not now have any policy in place that excludes anything other than illegal activity in this area and we welcome all to come and enjoy this peaceful and beautiful setting." Sure you would invite a couple people to test the limits of that, but before long it would all be a memory and you would even have extended an olive branch to a community that you ought to be trying to make inroads with. Sometimes I think the church should fire whoever is giving it advice (EDIT: don't say it, Indy ).

[All-American]

I'll set aside my better judgment and enter the fray.

Through a series of freak revelations, SoonerCoug has just been sustained as President of the LDS Church, with the condition that Solon and SU serve as his first and second counselors, respectively. The fate of the temple square plaza now rests in your hands. What are you going to do with it? Rip it all up, rebuild the road, and return it to the Salt Lake City Council with a kind note of apology and a plate of cookies?

[Brian]

Through a series of freak revelations, SoonerCoug has just been sustained as President of the LDS Church, with the condition that Solon and SU serve as his first and second counselors, respectively.

All in favor please manifest with the usual sign.


Opposed, if there be any, with the same sign.

[Indy Coug]

I think the church HQ should relocate to Draper and they let downtown do what it's desperately been trying to do for the last 20 to 30 years: go to hell.

[RobinFinderson]

I'll set aside my better judgment and enter the fray.

Through a series of freak revelations, SoonerCoug has just been sustained as President of the LDS Church, with the condition that Solon and SU serve as his first and second counselors, respectively. The fate of the temple square plaza now rests in your hands. What are you going to do with it? Rip it all up, rebuild the road, and return it to the Salt Lake City Council with a kind note of apology and a plate of cookies?

This hurts man. I'M the apostate who wants to run for President of the Mormons. Not SU. He probably wouldn't even accept the calling.

[SloanHater]

Good call. It's probably best to keep reminding ourselves of the completely legitimate way that the plaza became private property.

I'd be the first to admit that the deal reeked (and still does) of backroom politicking between elected Mormons and Church Leaders. However, that doesn't negate the rights the Church now has over its property.

Are the new signs really that offensive? Do people take similar offense to 7-11's discrimination of the shirtless and shoeless?