In a letter to the editor of the Arizona Republic, a Chandler resident voices her opinion that a new museum devoted to true crime artifacts, like the Lindbergh killer’s electric chair, is in bad taste. She bases her views on being the “adult child of a convicted murderer.”
She tries to make her point in the most awkward way. It seems it is ok for Lizzie Borden museums, and their niche, to have tacky, small exhibits. Dissing Lizzie Borden and Fall River will get you nowhere madam.
Newseum exhibit shows bad taste
Aug. 16, 2008 12:00 AMAs the adult child of a convicted murderer, I try to advocate for all affected by violent crime, including the victims’ and offenders’ families.
I can comfortably speak for both sides of the aisle when I say that the Newseum’s display of violent-crime “artifacts” is a slap in the face to the families affected by these crimes.
The display of the electric chair used to execute the Lindbergh kidnapper is especially disgusting. The Lindbergh baby has nearly a dozen living siblings and the Lindbergh kidnapper has two middle-aged adult children. This electric chair insults these relatives and glorifies the public fascination with violence.
While the Newseum has the First Amendment right to exhibit these items, I feel that its organizers have no journalistic value and are in completely bad taste. I expect this type of macabre display at small, niche true-crime museums like the Lizzie Borden Museum or the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum, but not the largest journalism museum in the world located next to the Smithsonian.
Newseum’s major donors, such as Time Warner, Cox, Comcast and the owners of The Arizona Republic, should reconsider future multimillion dollar donations to this museum. – Jenn Carson,Chandler
