Fla. Authorities Remove Bloody Crucified Jesus Display From Busy Intersection
Florida authorities recently demanded a man remove his live "Jesus crucifixion" display that included bleeding wounds from a busy intersection in Lehigh Acres, Fla., because it was a "public safety issue" and distracting drivers.
The display, put on by local organizers, involved an actor, Lathan Gareiss, wearing gory makeup and fake blood that made him appear to have large open wounds on his back and blood streaming down his body. Gareiss stood on the corner of the busy intersection of Lee Boulevard and Homestead Street in Lehigh Acres, Fla. on Good Friday, in preparation for Easter.
Gareiss walked up and down the boulevard while carrying a large wooden cross behind him, and at times got on the cross to show the re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion.
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According to the local Lee County Authorities, some drivers and passerby complained about the display, arguing that it had caused near-car accidents and that the blood and near-nakedness of Gareiss was too graphic for young children.
Ultimately, a spokesman for the Lee County Sherriff's Office told Fox 4 News that the display had to be taken down because it was "creating a public safety hazard because of traffic danger."
Although some were pleased that the display had been removed, others contested, arguing that the realistic makeup and fake blood show what the Easter season is truly about. Gareiss, the actor playing Jesus in the display, told Wink News that "this is just something that I was moved to do."
"Easter is not about bunny rabbits and little chicks," he continued. "This what our Christ endured for us. For our sins. And to hide that, is to not to live to the true faith of what he did for us."
Others observing the display told organizers that they wanted to see the crucified Jesus stay on the street corner. "It's ridiculous that they're making you take him down," one woman told the organizers, according to Fox News 4.
"I really think we need to recognize and be reminded of what Jesus did for us," the media outlet reported another woman as saying. The woman added "I wish it would have stayed."
