12/17/2009 1:43:00 PM Letter: I can hear mother earth crying over that statue
Editor:
The only words that came to my mind after this statue was erected was sadness for the raw land that will be no more.
I can hear mother earth crying, why must you put a 39-foot statue and other assorted statues on me? Am I not already beautiful and peaceful as I was made by all of your creators?
How can a 39-foot glitzy statue make land peaceful when its actually taking away the peaceful beauty of Bill Gray Road and the natural beauty of the red rocks and turning it into a money-driven Mago-Sedona circus?
Please attend the Cottonwood Planning and Zoning Commission meeting Dec. 21, 6 p.m., or call to voice your opinion to George Geller 634-5505 that this statue cannot be a permanent fixture on Bill Gray Road and 89A.
By the way, the Windmill Park in Cornville is a quiet peaceful place to take your children or leased animals with undisturbed Oak Creek running next to it and no statues are needed to remind you of the peace and harmony.
Does anyone remember the so-called sweat lodge in Sedona where you were allowed to pay over $9000 for peace? Sound familiar?
How about the movie "The Ten Commandments?" Does anyone remember what happened after the people poured all the gold assorted statues.
Merry Christmas to all and peace be with you all in your heart.
Carla E. Tarufelli
Cornville
Reader Comments
Posted: Sunday, December 27, 2009
Article comment by:
Statue is gawdy and distracting
the statue is gawdy and distracting I can't imagine there was no oversight on this by zoning, but I feel there should be a public hearing before such things are apprroved, I don't care to see this place become as big a spectacle as I see happening, and you shouldn't need a statue to see mother earth. I feel it's a slippery slope to bigger and more gawdy or even offensive displays of belief, religious and otherwise. What if neo nazis wanted a statue of hitler and dancing swasticas? would they be denied? could they be with this precedence set? I'm not completely familiar with the organization and am not against their beleifs just, their imposing display of it.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Be smart, KEEP the Statue
I drive back and forth between Cottonwood and Sedona every day, too, and I find myself looking for the Mago statue in the landscape. She's lovely and so friendly and she's the most beautiful statue I've ever seen, representing the most beautiful philosophy I've heard of. I don't know why people are having issues with the Mago statue-even the Catholic church takes up 30 times as much of the landscape.
Posted: Saturday, December 19, 2009
Article comment by:
Monika Cate
I always looked forward to my occasional drive from Cottonwood to Sedona, letting myself mentally being captured by the peaceful and majestic landscape. This new overwhelming statue does the opposite, it feels like a slap in the face to me and the beauty of the landscape disappears immediately. It takes me a while to forget it and be once again at peace with my surroundings on the remainder of my drive to Sedona. But then, at one point, I have to pass that statue again on my way back to Cottonwood. I just don't understand why anybody has the right to impose this on other members of the community and wipe out the existing beauty of the scenery. This is not the way to celebrate the earth, it is just the opposite, it makes me sad.
Posted: Friday, December 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Pam Broyles
Hello, I just returned to Las Vegas, Nv., after visiting the Mago statue. I was drawn to the statue because it was so big. It seems to me that the point of the statue being so big is to bring attention to the meaning of what the statue represents - protecting the earth, becoming aware of the fragility of the earth. I think we all need to understand and to feel the need to respect and help heal our Mother Earth.
Posted: Friday, December 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Leila
Actually, Mother Earth is not just crying, she’s DYING. And that’s because human beings as a whole population on the Earth are killing not only each other but destroying the Earth with pollution and global warming from technological advancement, warfare, and pursuit of individual economic success.
The bare landscape only makes a statement of the Earth’s beauty for those who care to pay attention; this statue of Mother Earth, on the other hand, is a physical representation of a message—that all human beings are One, and we are all living on the same Earth; therefore, we must love and care for each other and the planet we live on.
Ilchi Lee and Tao Fellowship have worked to build the Mago Earth Park on private property and make it open to our community. What about you? What contribution have you made for the world? Or even for Cottonwood? It’s easy to enjoy the convenience of our so-called "modern" lives while the Earth and human beings in other parts of the world are suffering; it's easy for anyone to complain and judge without doing anything helpful. What action have you taken to create positive changes for humanity?
Posted: Friday, December 18, 2009
Article comment by:
Tonya Whelan
To the Editor:
It’s great that we all want to think that we are living in a world that desires peace, but just thinking that we want this, and taking steps to get there are two very different things.
I think the Mago statue (although not much bigger than a toothpick standing next to the church in comparative size) is a step in the right direction toward focusing on peace. And it’s not just a statue that’s being erected it’s a movement to take the next step toward saving humanity.
In conjunction with the park, several other organizations were in attendance including the IBREA foundation, all proceeds for which are going to the UN to help fight hunger across the globe. Although many may not like their landscape interrupted by anything other than the occasional rock, the statue stands for that life which we all need to strive toward, not just say we are doing so and let things be as they are.
It hasn’t worked for the past 50 or so years has it?
Rather than try to keep the same old, same old and hoping that it’ll bring about change in the future. Let’s try something little more proactive.
I think we need a bigger statue.
-Tonya Whelan
Village of Oak Creek
Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2009
Article comment by:
Nathan Guadagni
I hope to clarify a little bit to Carla, and anyone else who is confused about the purpose of the Mago Peace Park and all of the statues on the land there. The statues are not meant to point out how beautiful and peaceful this land is, obviously that is not neccessary. The Mago Peace Park is a place where thousand of visitors will come each year to connect with other peace activists to take action to improve our Earth. Sedona Mago Retreat Center is the training ground for many Spiritual groups, activist, Yoga/ Tai-Chi and Meditation Instructors, as well as thousands of soul-seekers. SMRC draws visitors from across the entire globe and the Mago Peace Park is where they come together. If you are only basing your opinion of the park on the photo of the half-finished statue, I hope that you and anyone who doubts the beauty and purpose of this project to come and see it for yourself, before talking about it. At the very least, this Peace Park will draw many people into our local economy and take some of the beauty of Cottonwood and Sedona's art and craft, photos and paintings back to their homes.
Posted: Thursday, December 17, 2009
Article comment by:
Robert
Yes, there is absolutely nothing else like the peacefulness of nature that ANY man-made statues or buildings can EVER replace. than you for voicing this Ms. Tarufelli.
