HOA Bans Christmas Wreath With Peace Sign

DENVER -- In a town in scenic southwestern Colorado homeowners are battling over whether a Christmas wreath that includes a peace sign is an anti-Iraq war protest or even a promotion of Satan.

"We have had three or four complaints. Some people have kids in Iraq and they are sensitive," said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Lynda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs. He also said some believe it is a symbol of Satan.

Jeff Heitz, of the association board, sent a letter to Lisa Jensen saying, "Loma Lynda residents are offended by the peace sign displayed on the front of your house. ... This Board will not allow any signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive...."

The subdivision's covenants said no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.

When Kearns ordered the association's architectural control committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, they refused. Jack Lilly, chairman of the group, said it decided it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything. Lilly also said he had received no complaints from homeowners. Kearns fired all five members of the architectural control committee.

"Somebody could put up signs that say, 'Drop bombs on Iraq.' If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," said Kearns in a telephone interview Sunday. Earlier another homeowner had complied when required to take down a peace sign that was made of a pie plate held up by two skis.

Jensen, a past president of the association in the subdivision of 200 homes 270 miles southwest of Denver, said, "I honestly wasn't thinking of the Iraq war. Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing. I am not going to take it down until after Christmas. Now that it has come to this, I feel I can't get bullied. What if they don't like my Santa Claus?" she said.

Kearns said the association will fine Jensen $25 a day for everyday it remains up. She calculates that will cost her about $1,000, although she said she doubts they will be able to make her pay.

Kearns, meanwhile, also said he was concerned about the pagan symbolism of the peace sign. "It's also an anti-Christ sign. That's how it started," he told the Durango Herald.

The newspaper, citing the 1972 edition of "Symbol Sourcebook: An Authoritative Guide to International Graphic Symbols" said that the author was also uncertain about the source of the "crow's foot" design in the peace symbol. While some say it's a symbol of total nuclear disarmament (coming from the semaphore signals for N and D) others claim the symbol represents an upside-down cross with broken arms and is therefore anti-Christian or Satanic.

"It's something that ought to be resolved between the Homeowners Association and the resident right now," said attorney Mark Payne of Winzenburg, Left, Purvis and Payne.

Payne said these kinds of disputes can be public relations nightmares for homeowner groups even if the facts are on their side.

"The better associations try not to let these things happen," said Payne. "They try to find a way around it. They try to find a way to resolve the dispute. Other times, these things can't be resolved and they do end up in court."

Jensen said she put up the wreath to honor the biblical call for peace and goodwill toward men. She said she and her husband hung the wreath on their outside wall Nov. 15 and plan to leave the wreath and all of her other Christmas decorations up until after Dec. 25.

Jensen said that she's already gotten a lot of support.

"One of the guys who called us was in tears almost, choked up. He said, 'I went to war and I fought for peace and they don't have the right to take that away from you,'" Jensen said.

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