Thanks for the input. To answer your question I absoluetly believe that shrine was a nuisance and was indirectly increasing drug/gang activity.

I think if that shrine was initially started by family of the victim (and I have my doubts) it became a competition in liquor bottles.

As someone who would walk my dog up and down that street I actaully stopped walking my dog over there because of that shrine for a few reasons:

1) The drug dealing over there got so bad that I was concerned for my safety.

2) I was concerned about catching a bullet if my dog used the bathroom near the tree.

3) There would be a congregation of folks around the tree and to be honest they weren’t exactly the most law abiding of folks. In fact they were drug dealers and that was a known fact.

Luckily after enough complaints the police really started cracking down on the drug activity on that corner and part of it was removing the liquor bottles. If you haven’t seen a picture of the “shrine” take a look on SS’s blog. That picture was taken midway through the shrine building – it was even larger than that in the end.

Again, I totally appreciate grief and I pray to God I never lose someone close to me but in my opinion we are being a bit loose with the term “shrine”. Some of these displays are nothing more than abandoned items on a public street and since there are laws barring these items I will call them in after a reasonable amount of time has passed. I also call in graffitti, garbage and abandoned vehicles because I am committed to keeping my neighborhood clean and tidy. In my opinion (and it’s just mine) there is not such a thing as a “tidy” sidewalk memorial since by it’s very location it’s illegal which is why after 30 days I think they they should be removed – no exceptions.

And for the record if I were to lose my life through some act of violence or a bullet I would still feel the same way. I would hope that my friends, family and neighbors would honor my spirit with something that would give back positively to the community and preferably with a message – something that would reflect my spirit.

Hi southeastsocialite,

When I lived in Baltimore, there were shrines like this all the time in my neighborhood and honestly they never bothered me. I guess we’re just both speaking from our experiences and I’m speaking from mine but they were never a nuisance.

I mean, I was bothered by the fact that people were dying at a rate that necessitated these shrines but the shrines themselves weren’t a nuisance and I never noticed kids throwing stuff around (of course, that’s a big problem, as is getting your tires damaged by broken glass.) And I did say that sometimes things like this are just gang jibberish but more often than not it’s people expressing grief. And like I said before, grief makes you do strange things, or even things that could be construed as self-destructive.

I didn’t say late-night drinking sessions are a good way to deal with one’s emotions, I’m saying that’s what happens. You’re probably right, that the money could go toward a death notice (usually papers don’t pay for editorial content) but what I’m saying is, it’s hard to be that rational and that calm in the immediate aftermath of a sudden death, especially when it’s a violent death. So you grab what’s nearest to you and express how you feel.

I’m sorry that you’ve been through what you’ve been through as a result of these shrines, I really am. And of course they should be properly maintained, I said before that I completely understand the health/safety concerns surrounding this issue. But I don’t think people put up these memorials solely to inconvenience their neighbors, even if that is the end result It’s an expression of grief that, yes, I still do think is valid.

As for the shrine on Newcomb Street, theadvoc8te, do you think that the shrine caused or inflamed drug activity? Like, if it wasn’t there, there would have been less activity? Or would it have been the same? I ask because I’m not that familiar with the area, not to be provocative.

Finally, Fred, I like your blog! Keep writing and thanks for posting this.

The vigil itself was sad enough, but it should be noted that MPD was present before, during and after the vigil. The tree grew and grew with teddy bears and candles (I haven’t seen any alcohol bottles as yet). I do see the necessity for and the emotional closure such a vigil might provide for the neighbors and family of the deceased, but I’m not sure how the shrines serve to honor the deceased when it becomes unkempt.

I’ll keep an eye on the shrine to see how it evolves, that is if it allowed to remain. Personally, the reminder of this young man’s murder is not something I want to experience emotionally every time I go to the grocery store. Yet, I respect a family’s and a community’s expression of grief.

Yes, “street shrines” may be illegal” but a precendence has been set to a point where the creators of these shrines, sort of like jaywalkers, face no real penalties. And considering the emotional gravity, I am not the one to really blame the police for this one. If anything, maybe there should be time limits and/or restrictions to what can be posted (i.e., permit the pooring of libations, but not the littering the shrine with alcohol bottles).

2 cents.

These shrines are illegal but the city (including MPD and DPW) have a practice of letting the shrines stay up for a month and they DO inform the family before they take it down so they can make arrangements to remove it. The city has been sensitive to the needs for the family and I think those of us who would rather not have these shrines have been sensitive HOWEVER as in anything there comes a limit.

The bottle shrine on Newcomb Street was there for about 9 or 10 months and was directly in the hotspot for drug activity on that street.

Many times, people who get these kinds of shrines are the kind of people not deemed worthy of an obit in the local newspaper, not deemed worthy of more police resources to resolve the crime, not deemed worthy to be remembered. Not always because they were of a criminal element but because this kind of thing is normalized in this country.

So what do you do to commemorate that person, that person you know will never be featured in the paper, or on the local TV news, or have a plaque or statue put up somewhere in their city? You grab what you have, empty liquor bottles from late night drinking sessions/trips down memory lane; stuffed animals that you knew the person liked, pictures of that person, graffiti scrawled on an abandoned building, a mural, something, anything you can do to say “This person existed, I loved them and they deserve to be remembered.”

It’s not just a black thing, (or a poor black thing, because really, let’s just cut out the euphemisms and be honest: is that the real reason why these shrines seem to be so disconcerting to some?), it’s a human thing. A grief thing. Grief can do strange things to people, make them act and feel differently than they did before and the last thing on their minds is whether what they’re doing is “proper” or “appropriate” or what the rules are. Or, it is, but it doesn’t stop the strange thoughts and actions anyway.

There’s a shrine like this in downtown Silver Spring for a 14-year-old Vietnamese kid who was shot on a bus on his way home. His classmates at Montgomery Blair High posted photos and balloons across the street from Borders to show their love and appreciation for that boy, to express their grief. I don’t see that as any different than what you see in SE. And yes, I suppose if you’re following the law to the letter they’re illegal and should be removed. But just because it isn’t officially sanctioned doesn’t mean it isn’t art, nor does it mean it doesn’t have the potential to enrich lives and even be a teaching moment. It’s like graffiti and murals. Yes, some of it is just gang jibberish but so much of it is beautiful and enriching and culturally significant. Just because it’s outside and not in a gallery doesn’t invalidate the mode of expression.

Sorry I got long-winded here but I just had to respond.

To answer your question I feel the same wether a shrine is in Congress Heights or Capital Hill or Dupont Circle – it should be removed. Public property is not the place for unauthorized shrines or displays. It makes no matter to me what the story is behind it if it’s against the law for one it’s against the law for the other. I think when you start making allowances for one you are on a slipperly slope. The laws of the city should be applied to everyone. I love my dog to bits – I would be mortified if he was run over in front of my building but I would never think to place a huge shrine in his honor on the sidewalk (not saying a dogs life is the same as a person). It would be inconsiderate to my neighbors and it would be breaking the law. In my opinion that is part of the problem with some of our neighborhoods – some people forget they have neighbors and they forget to show consideration and they forget the responsibility of being a good neighbor. For that reason (and many others) I think it is time that the laws of the city are respected and followed – no exceptions.