For the publisher:

A lot of people seem to think that a little white cross in the front yard should be exempt from the rules we all subscribe to when we move in here for decorations in our front yards. For them, I ask a few questions.
If “one” small white cross is acceptable, why not two? Or ten? Or a hundred? Or several hundred? How about one for every 9/11 victim or one for every victim of the Pulse Nightclub shooting or one for every COVID-19 related death? How many are TOO?
If a “small” white cross is acceptable, what about a “large”? At what point does the decoration stop being barely noticeable and start to be obnoxiously intrusive?
If a small “white” cross is acceptable? What about the other colors? Gold? Silver? Rainbow for LGTBQIA +? And the enlightened ones? Or those made of flashing lights? I have seen outdoor lighting displays that would rival Las Vegas for piercing tackiness. Is it OK to do this for the crosses?
If a small white “cross” as a symbol of Christianity is acceptable, are symbols from ALL denominations acceptable? I know Baptists who think Mormons are cultists, even though both denominations are Christian, and dislike seeing Angel Moroni’s art on display. How about symbols for Judaism. For Islamism? For Sikhism? For Buddhism? For Shintoism? For Taoism? For Cao Dai? What about Christian Science? For Scientology? For Wicca? For Rastafarianism? For Satanism? For pastafarism? For the Church of SubGenius? For Jediism? What about Agnostics? For atheists? How mainstream do you have to be to be able to display your religion icons?
Whenever I’m tempted to give someone a pass for doing something that isn’t so wrong with me, personally I try to look at it from someone’s perspective who doesn’t share. not my beliefs. If my answer comes down to that I don’t want them to do their thing but should be allowed to do mine, then I force myself to try to compromise. In this case, the trade-off that comes to mind is to make the religious displays private by placing them in the back yard or inside the house, not the front yard.
And isn’t that exactly what we all agreed to do when we signed our papers to live in The Villages? I don’t think The Villages blames Christians on this; I consider that they are trying to be fair and equitable to people of all faiths who have come to inhabit this place.

Jerry bell
Pine Ridge Village