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Mayor, Borough Manager Face Criticism Over Nixing Battlefield Cross On Veteran Monument In Fair Lawn New Jersey

Mayor Gail Rottenstrich (left) and Borough Manager Kurt Peluso (right) face criticism for removing the battlefield cross from a planned $150,000 veterans monument without consulting the borough's veterans during a meeting at the American Legion in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States, on September 3, 2024. Several individuals speak, noting their connection to the Battlefield Cross, whether through a loved one who died in battle or their respect for the importance of such a monument. ''The gun is hard to separate from the Battlefield Cross,'' Florio says. ''It's a tool of war.'' The mayor says she is the daughter of a marine and the wife of a veteran and insists the borough always supports veterans. ''It's what we're all about.'' She admits she has never seen a Battlefield Cross in New Jersey, but others who speak say they do exist in at least a couple of other municipalities and within the borough itself. She also says she wants to understand the significance of the Battlefield Cross. ''Memorial is a park, a pool, a basketball court,'' Rottenstrich says. ''There was just gun violence in Glen Rock at their basketball court. If it were in the cemetery, it wouldn't be an issue.'' She says a ''machine gun'' in a park isn't appropriate, mentioning several times that some people only know guns, such as the M-16 depicted in the Cross, as weapons they've encountered through civilian violence. The M-16, though, is not a machine gun, according to the veterans in the room. ''I understand it's the thing that stands between you and the bad guys,'' Rottenstrich says. ''You need to understand how other people feel.'' Peluso, who serves as mayor of Fair Lawn for 10 years before Rottenstrich is selected to serve in March by her council mates, says the whole matter is more about process. ''I understand you're frustrated because you've been working on this for a while,'' he tells the Veterans Council, ''whereas we're just learning about this.'' (Photo by Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto)

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