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Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games June 17, 2006 LETTERS: at length Open letter to Premier West Bank By Keith S. Chambers Ashland The new Premier West Bank branch on Ashland Street is an attractive remodel of the former McDonald’s building and I’ve enjoyed watching the transformation as construction progressed. I noticed the flagpole when it was put up, and I like seeing our flag flying appropriately. I myself own two U.S. flags and enjoy hanging one on my front porch on flag days. However, I find that huge new flag quite offensive, and I urge that PW replace it with a flag of more normal and more modest size. Here is why I hope PW will do this: Driving over the Ashland Street overpass, one sees this flag instantly. Its hugeness screams “look at me!” It is not a gentle voice, a pleasant flag waving in the breeze. It is a scream, no doubt about it. What is the message? “Bigger is better?” This is not well received in Ashland. “Ours is bigger than yours?” Pretty juvenile. “We are superpatriots!” Again, a scream. A normal sized flag would be fine — but this one is like an oversized billboard, ugly and out of place. The flag is divisive. While some people may like it, I am sure that most find it to be too big, too gaudy, too much. Are the bank’s interests served by creating this divisiveness? When in Rome … Ashland is a community with a high degree of consciousness. Large signs, billboards, and big-box stores — all of these are felt by a majority of Ashlanders to be out of place here. PW bank and its flag should fit in, as good, respectful neighbors in an already established neighborhood. I hope that PW bank will reconsider its reported position (“the flag stays”), and send the gaudy, over-sized flag somewhere else. Then, when we cross the overpass toward the bank we will smile, feeling that the symbol whispers or sings to us, and the screaming has stopped. The Tidings gives priority to letters on local and regional topics of current interest. It seeks to encourage thoughtful, well-reasoned letters and to discourage personal attacks, repetitive messages and personal disputes. Form letters are not published in the Tidings, nor are letters identified as having been published in other publications. Contributions to the Opinion page should be e-mailed in text-only format to [email protected]. Please include your address and a daytime phone number where you can be reached for confirmation. Letters are limited to 250 words. At Length submissions are limited to 400 words. Submissions may be edited for length, content and clarity. See www.dailytidings.com for our expanded letters and opinion section. . Current Comments: I am completely amazed at the energy that is being put into criticizing or supporting the big flag. C'mon, people! It's a FLAG! If this is the biggest problem we face as a community, we are in pretty darn great shape. I neither support nor abhor this addition to the skyscape of Ashland. It's a FLAG! WHATEVER! Can we perhaps focus on a REAL problem? GEEZ!!! David - Ashland, OR - June 17th, 6:59 AM The flag is divisive? What country are you living in? Like or not, that flag stands for all of us. It represents you and me. That's not divisive. That flag protects your right to print your misguided opinion. When the flag police tell us what size our flags must be and how to express ourselves, we all have a serious problem. Just so you know Keith, I have a big arrogant flag at my house that will never come down...sorry. Greg Lemhouse - Ashland, OR - June 17th, 1:20 AM Wow, people really do complain about everything. Maybe they should be complaining about Ashland getting another bank rather than the size of flag outside of one of them. Walter S. - Ashland, OR - June 18th, 9:33 AM Leave a Comment: --> Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.