They cut down the tree!!?

[Kamille]

..i assume that the memorial on dudley shoals road is still there ?


http://www.wcnc.com/news/Mourners-stop-by-Granite-Falls-memorial-for-Zahra-Baker-107998969.html

Down the road, members at Dudley Shoals Baptist Church say they tried more than once to reach out to the Bakers.

"They visited and they asked," says Glenda young.

What does this paragraph mean? :waitasec:

 

[Mountain_Kat]

Down the road, members at Dudley Shoals Baptist Church say they tried more than once to reach out to the Bakers.

"They visited and they asked," says Glenda young.

What does this paragraph mean? :waitasec:

In many Southern Baptist churches, it's the custom to great anyone new to the neighborhood and invite them to visit your church. So, I took that paragraph to mean that members of the congregation visited the Bakers, and asked if they would be interested in visiting the church.

 

[bessie]

Down the road, members at Dudley Shoals Baptist Church say they tried more than once to reach out to the Bakers.

"They visited and they asked," says Glenda young.

What does this paragraph mean? :waitasec:

In the video, the lady says, "They visited and they asked if they could have prayer on the porch."

 

[Mountain_Kat]

In the video, the lady says, "They visited and they asked if they could have prayer on the porch."

Makes you wonder what the response to that question was, doesn't it?

"Uh, no thanks, I'm a gothic fairy vampire. Thanks for asking , though." :angel:

 

[Reannan]

Oh crap! Cutting down the tree was a very bad idea. I feel horrible for this property owner, but he/she cannot simply cut down a tree that the community has been using to pay their respects and expect everyone to think "Oh, Ok!!! It's all over now - I will forget about Zahra and my grief and anger!" NO WAY, NO HOW!!!! I sat in my church this morning for a sermon about Thanksgiving, and how we should all be thankful. I sat there crying quietly (no, I am NOT over this!!!), and was inspired yet again by Zahra. I sure wish the property owner could see that he/she needs to tear the house down, and create a park for everyone else in the neighborhood to come to and feel hope. Zahara was completely filled with hope... you see it in her smile. Tearing the tree down now was a bad idea... I hope he learns something from this, and tears the house down and builds that park!!!!!

 

[dsntslp]

Don't cut down a tree but demolish a house?

The landlord can do whatever he wants with his own property within local zoning restrictions.

How is a Park going to help him pay his bills or the taxes on the property?

Is he to "donate" his property to the city so they can pay to maintain a Park?

Would the City buy the property? Agree to maintain it?
If so, maybe if the owner came out of the deal ahead of the game he might consider it but otherwise, where is the logic or is it just emotion?

If a memorial is built is it not a constant reminder, thorn in the side for some that inhibits them from moving on for years to come until the generations change and people say "Zahra Park, where some little girl named Zahra was butchered?"

No, in my opinion a Park is not a good idea.

Sorry if any of this sounds crass, I don't mean it to be. I really don't. I am just not a flowery worded person. Brass tacks usually.
Apologies if I have offended anybody, I truly do not mean to.

Just my own opinion.

 

[Kamille]

In many Southern Baptist churches, it's the custom to great anyone new to the neighborhood and invite them to visit your church. So, I took that paragraph to mean that members of the congregation visited the Bakers, and asked if they would be interested in visiting the church.

I didn't think the Bakers lived in the Dudley Shoals area. I thought only EB and perhaps one or more of her ex husbands lived there. :waitasec:

 

[tlcya]

no offense taken over here dsntslp. I too think the owner should do whatever is needed in order to move on with daily life. His family was dragged into this nightmare through no fault of their own.

I wish a beautiful tree hadn't been cut down, but I agree with you that the property is his, to do with as he pleases and it should not buy him our outrage in response.

 

[Reannan]

dsntslp, you have not insulted or offended. You stated your opinion, and that is what we do here at WS's - respectfully. The problem with the tree is the timing of it. People had apparently baked birthday cakes and left them there! I don't grieve that way, but a lot of people do. It is everyone's right to grieve as they see fit. I can understand the landlord's need to put this situation to rest. Cutting the tree down IMHO just tipped it to a whole new level. If people had been given a chance to grieve, they would have done just that - grieved and moved on. The house.... no one worth a dang will ever want to rent it. It is essentially gutted by the investigation anyway! Surely, there must be a garden club, or some organization that would be willing to sponsor some sort of grass-filled park with a simple bench at that site!!!! If they keep the house, I predict it will become the subject of vandals and the source of ghost stories in the years to come. The ripple effect of crime is wide ranging, and doesn't care who is caught up in the tide.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I didn't think the Bakers lived in the Dudley Shoals area. I thought only EB and perhaps one or more of her ex husbands lived there. :waitasec:

Quite possible, Kamille. I just used the term "Bakers" out of habit, I guess.

 

[Meagain]

God. I didn't realize how substantial that tree WAS. I'M TICKED OFF! Big time.
And not cuz of Zahra even.

 

[Kamille]

Quite possible, Kamille. I just used the term "Bakers" out of habit, I guess.

No you were right to use that term because that's what the article said....the Bakers. Anyway, it's off topic to this thread. I just thought it was odd.

Like I said about the tree though, people are going to have different reactions to that and not all of them are going to be positive. LE should be keeping watch around there IMO.

 

[dsntslp]

I see the tree as a living thing that took years to grow so I do understand the outrage, for lack of a better word. I see the house as made of wood, brick, mortar etc... It takes years to grow the tress to make the wood though...

The landlord can rebuild the house better than before and have the Church come in and bless the home. I understand that a lot of people will not live in a home where somebody has died but I also believe there are many who will, even to the point of having the home blessed again by their own minister. Then, there are others who it will not matter to at all as long as the home is nice and worth the asking/rental price. It took a couple of months but HaLeighs home rented. People move on, life goes on, I think Zahra would want it that way.

I think the idea of planting a tree with a marker for her in an already established Park is a great idea though! Or... a special children's flower/vegetable garden, maintained by the local Gardening Club etc, where children could go and learn to garden and take home a few flowers to their own families as well. I guess I just think it is better to do something like that off site and on untainted ground if you will. JMO

 

[tlcya]

I love the thought of teaching children to plant and grow things that they can eventually take home and transplant there. ty for that thought dsntslp

 

[Etilema]

I do very much sympathize with the landlord, especially after the house started to be vandalized.

But cutting down a living tree is just too much of a horrible parallel to Zahra's dismemberment. It is like a violence, at least to the emotions of the people who have been grieving.

Just my opinion.

 

[nomoresorrow]

I see the tree as a living thing that took years to grow so I do understand the outrage, for lack of a better word. I see the house as made of wood, brick, mortar etc... It takes years to grow the tress to make the wood though...

The landlord can rebuild the house better than before and have the Church come in and bless the home. I understand that a lot of people will not live in a home where somebody has died but I also believe there are many who will, even to the point of having the home blessed again by their own minister. Then, there are others who it will not matter to at all as long as the home is nice and worth the asking/rental price. It took a couple of months but HaLeighs home rented. People move on, life goes on, I think Zahra would want it that way.

I think the idea of planting a tree with a marker for her in an already established Park is a great idea though! Or... a special children's flower/vegetable garden, maintained by the local Gardening Club etc, where children could go and learn to garden and take home a few flowers to their own families as well. I guess I just think it is better to do something like that off site and on untainted ground if you will. JMO

I really think (at least for the moment until/if more information comes to light) that there's a big difference between the home that HaLeigh was living in and this home, where there is public knowledge, Zahra was killed and dismembered in it.

I agree, and understand, that life must go on and Zahra would want it that way. On the other hand, this pain is still extremely raw within this community. Perhaps it is a little bit too soon yet to expect people within the community, who are still reeling from this, to go on?

One other comment (lol) - It is not uncommon for a home, where a brutal act was committed against a child resulting in murder, to become the focus of anger for those within the community. I have read numerous stories of homes, albeit most were empty/abandoned, where the house was burnt or torn down because it's presence would simply continue to evoke the horrific memories of what had taken place there. I'm not in support of or opposed to it, either way, because I don't live within that community, therefore I don't have to drive by/look at it every single day.

~All Just My Opinions~

 

[Velouria]

I do very much sympathize with the landlord, especially after the house started to be vandalized.

But cutting down a living tree is just too much of a horrible parallel to Zahra's dismemberment. It is like a violence, at least to the emotions of the people who have been grieving.

Just my opinion.

EXACTLY!

In light of what allegedly happened to poor Zahra, I find the thought of someone taking a chainsaw to this tree very disturbing.

 

[sunflowerchick]

I am sincerely hoping this post doesn't get me in trouble. I do believe we are all entitled to our own opinions, but what I don't understand is why there is even a thread about this. I am a little disappointed honestly. I know that we have all been impacted by this case, but what does this have to do with sleuthing Zahra's case in an effort to seek justice? Isn't that ultimately why we all joined this site and participate in these discussions? To help the kids? To get justice? And to prevent heinous crimes from happening again? In my opinion, this discussion about the tree isn't helping those cases at all, and in some ways is self-defeating.

Heaven forbid the landlord or his family be reading here and come across some of these posts. Don't you think they feel enough of the "what ifs" without questioning whether cutting down the tree was the right decision. He has the right to do whatever he wants with his property regardless of what took place there. He was not involved and most likely wants to just "move on". We can't blame him for that.

 

[Verity]

I just watched the video of Emily at the tree again, it meant the whole world to her at that moment in time. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai33BxItmmo[/ame] I'm not saying the landlord is a bad person, I don't know him, and while one can say it was his tree to remove, it was at best a very thoughtless act to unpin all the notes and the photos and the ornaments and dispose of them in black bags (if that's what he did). What happened to that little silver angel shown in the video, or the letter from the 10 year old? I would feel better about it if found out that someone saved all the momentos and letters for EB, as I'm sure she would have taken them if she'd known.

Of what is he a recognized suspect?

Vandalizing a makeshift memorial? I know it's not a crime, but people do lots of things that aren't crimes that are still wrong.

Don't get me wrong, I am not unsympathetic with this landlord and the damage done to his property, both the material damage by LE searches, vandalism and the stigma that will drag the value down in the short term at least, but this seems like an ill considered and hasty decision. I said on another thread that I thought if he wanted to fell the tree, then a better course of action would have been to have the wood made into little Christmas/ Holiday ornaments that could be sold in memory of Zahra, with proceeds going to a cancer charity in her name.

By the way, what kind of tree was that? I'd like to plant a replacement one in her name.

 

[tlcya]

We all have strong opinions on this tree issue, this case in general has brought up really strong emotions for all of us. Thank goodness we all had a place to come and express those thoughts.

I feel better having gotten it off my chest. I think, for me at least, this thread has served its purpose, time for me to move on.

Blessings friends.