There’s a bit of an uproar going on in Utah over a Festival of Trees that won’t accept a tree honoring fallen Utah Soldiers.
Titled “Our Heroes,” the tree is dedicated to nearly 50 Utah soldiers who have died in military service. Next to the tree are numerous framed photographs of the soldiers. All of the festival’s trees — which typically stand as items of remembrance of children who have passed away, usually from illness — are displayed inside the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy. The soldier tribute tree, however, has been cast outside of the convention center’s exhibit floor and onto the facility’s lobby because organizers say it violates the required criteria for entries.
The chairwoman for the 2007 Festival of Trees in Sandy, Utah has tossed the tree out of the exhibit. She said it didn’t meet exhibit requirements.
“There are rules, and once you change the rules for one person you have to change them for everyone,” she said. “You look at the tree and see what rule it violates… it has more than one picture.”
Trees at the festival are supposed to feature just one picture in the proper measurement: 8×10. “Our Heroes” features 46 photographs.
Also, Hansen says the soldier tree is too tall at approximately 12 feet. Lastly, trees in the festival are supposed to honor children. “Our Heroes” honors adult servicemen.
“It does honor those who have sacrificed a lot for children, but it’s not about children,” Hansen said.
Wow. If that doesn’t sound just like an inflexible bureaucrat with a little bit of power who is just full of all the power she can wield in this instance. The problem is, that’s the only tree she singled out as inappropriate for the exhibit.
During a quick walk through of the exhibition floor, 2News spotted several displays that included more than just one picture. Also, other trees appeared to be just as tall as the soldier tribute tree. Lastly, we saw many trees that also did not honor children — like one, for example, which seems to pay tribute to legendary actress Audrey Hepburn.
“We were told that the tree couldn’t be included because it had too many pictures,” said Amy Mena of Taylorsville, the tree’s creator. “As far as being in violation of any rule, we figured that we were following all of the rules because in the guidelines it clearly states that one 8×10 [photograph may be included] per honoree. We have 46 honorees.”
Organizers did not give a reason why the other displays — which seemed to break the same rules that the soldier tree does — were permitted on the main floor and the soldier exhibit was not.
The chair of the festival, Edyth Hansen, has received a great deal of criticism for her unbending selective enforcement of these rules for the exhibits. Her condescending tone has been especially irritating.
For the life of me I don’t understand the hostility some people express towards our military. I understand why some people might feel that the military is not for them. I don’t understand why they would express contempt for the military in every little way they can - including singling out a Christmas tree that honors fallen Soldiers.
