Advertisement The giant bunny made of cardboard boxes, left on a Hoeschler Drive driveway, was supposed to be a prank aimed at a member of a rock band. Police tracked down the sculptors, rival rock ’n’ rollers and gave them $96 tickets.
Here are some of the 60-odd comments visitors left on the Tribune’s Web site:
Mack wrote: “See? We’re now officially afraid of everything.”
pinky wrote: “I would have called the cops, too. Now if it had been a deer or a bird that would have been a different story. But it was a RABBIT made from cardboard. And with the threatening message ‘I’m hopping down your driveway,’ I would almost be tempted to call 911 for that. Good for these homeowners for protecting their lives and property from these scary, threatening rock band members.”
MichellaBella wrote: “What great homage to ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail.’ Run away!”
Steve Harm wrote: “I think the thing for this guy to do was to identify the kids, then go to THEIR house the next night and build a giant cardboard tortoise!”
antieverything wrote: “... And to the COPS: Chase a criminal please.”
k8 wrote: “... Not only were the homeowners dumb enough to call the cops for such a stupid reason, but the cops were dumb enough to respond! If this were second grade, they would get spanked on the hand and told not to tattle!”
Sully wrote: “I hope that the local police contacted Homeland Security. Could be part of a sleeper cell using the rock band as cover. Cover band? Sounds fishy. Put them on the watch list.”
RUSerious wrote: “My question is, did the police show up in the BearCat?”
please wrote: “Now, wait a minute ... the guy saw the rabbit, THEN smashed it, THEN called the cops? And the bunny guys were ticketed for littering? Seems to me Homeowner ‘Can’t Take a Joke’ Guy is the one who should have been fined for littering.”
aSnitch wrote: “... Someone pulls a harmless prank that was actually quite responsible considering what ‘reckless’ pranks usually are attempted by teenagers. This was really a waste of time and investigation on both the homeowner’s and police’s part. I would have taken it as a compliment if someone put in the time and effort to construct such a masterpiece!”
Vandalism inspires rhetorical excess
When vandals aimed their spray paint at the Democratic Party’s headquarters for Vernon and Crawford counties in Viroqua last week, readers of our online coverage were quick to comment.
It wasn’t hard to tell who supported whom at www.lacrossetribune.com:
Willie wrote: “Somehow I think a lot of people saw it and just didn’t give a damn.”
Rickey wrote: “Republicans will do anything to win — Watergate , Swiftboat, Willie Horton. They have No shame.”
DutchBoy wrote: “I know I’m not the only one here thinking that something smells in Denmark. I anticipate that you’ll see a lot of ‘vandalism’ at Dem HQs around the country. In all likelihood, it’s probably low-level Dem workers/volunteers trying to draw some sympathetic press from the drive-by media. Dems look at a surging McCain in the polls and hit the panic button and will try to play the race card.”
theblob wrote: “How does someone spray paint a window on the busiest street at busiest time of DAYLIGHT, unless it is someone who draws no attention like a Democratic worker who maybe saw the light.”
The Moderate wrote: “Dutch-Boy sounds like a Democrat with his conspiracy-type thinking. Although it is a possibility that some Dems did this to gain sympathy, it is more likely some stupid kids who are parroting the remarks of their parents are responsible for the vandalism.”
happymom wrote: “While I don’t support Obama, who is a condescending lightweight, graffiti vandalism is so not a conservative ideal. (The) comment (by a Democratic Party official) about it having a ‘chilling effect’ on elections is so over-the-top hype I can’t stop giggling.”
By the numbers
Chris Zobin, the pollmeister at www.lacrossetribune.com, has had mortality on the brain lately.
When he asked our site visitors whether they’d like to know when the grim reaper would be knocking on their doors, 66 percent (1,325 of 2,010 respondents) preferred not knowing, 21 percent wanted to know and 13 percent were unsure.
In another poll, 32 percent (391 of 1,229 respondents) identified the 30s as the “prime of life.” Twenty-three percent picked the 20s, 21 percent the 40s (go 40somethings), 11 percent the 50s and 5 percent the 60s.
Marc Wehrs can be reached at (608) 791-8218 or mwehrs@lacrossetribune.com.
