Egypt gears up to host Barcelona Convention COP24 on Mediterranean Pollution in December    Egypt to host 3rd Global Conference on Population, Health and Human Development in November    Egypt to host inaugural AI Everything Middle East & Africa Summit in February 2026    Norway's wealth fund investments in Israel dominate election, could decide government    Egypt's military production, petroleum ministries drive projects to boost citizens' economic gains    Egypt implements EGP 12.7bn water, wastewater projects in Northwest Coast in 2024    Egypt backs UN plan for Libyan elections within 12-18 months    South Korea's Lee in Japan for talks ahead of crucial Trump meeting    Egypt, S.Arabia step up trade ties through coordination council talks    Egypt reviews progress on $200m World Bank-funded waste management hub    Egypt, ADIB explore strategic partnership in digital healthcare, investment    Egyptian pound down vs. US dollar at Monday's close – CBE    Egypt's FM, Palestinian PM visit Rafah crossing to review Gaza aid    Egypt prepares unified stance ahead of COP30 in Brazil    Egypt recovers collection of ancient artefacts from Netherlands    Egypt harvests 315,000 cubic metres of rainwater in Sinai as part of flash flood protection measures    Egypt, Namibia explore closer pharmaceutical cooperation    Fitch Ratings: ASEAN Islamic finance set to surpass $1t by 2026-end    Renowned Egyptian novelist Sonallah Ibrahim dies at 88    Egyptian, Ugandan Presidents open business forum to boost trade    Al-Sisi says any party thinking Egypt will neglect water rights is 'completely mistaken'    Egypt's Sisi warns against unilateral Nile measures, reaffirms Egypt's water security stance    Egypt's Sisi, Uganda's Museveni discuss boosting ties    Egypt, Huawei explore healthcare digital transformation cooperation    Egypt's Sisi, Sudan's Idris discuss strategic ties, stability    Egypt to inaugurate Grand Egyptian Museum on 1 November    Greco-Roman rock-cut tombs unearthed in Egypt's Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



SpongeBob Iraq Veteran Tombstone Generates controversy
Published in Albawaba on 02 - 11 - 2015

U.S. Army Sgt. Kimberly Walker, 28, truly loved SpongeBob Squarepants, a popular cartoon figure on the US cable network Nickelodeon. Every year, she had a SpongeBob birthday party, her family told local media outlets. The curtains in her home and in her bathroom also featured him.
Walker was allegedly strangled and beaten to death by her boyfriend, who is also a member of the US military, in February of this year in a Colorado Spring, Colorado hotel room. She had served two one-year tours of duty in Iraq.
So her family decided to honor her love of the well-known cartoon character at her gravesite. They ordered matching SpongeBob headstones for her and for her sister – one in an army uniform for Kimberly, and one in a navy uniform for her twin sister, Kara, an IT specialist for the Navy who is stationed in Naples, Italy.
The gravestones were six-feet tall, weighed 7,000 pounds and cost $13,000 each, and the family had to obtain legal permission from Nickelodeon to use the design.
The family obtained approval from an official at the Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio where Kimberly is buried who said they had no problem with the family's wishes, and even signed a contract to allow the stones to be installed.
But when the two tombstones were delivered on Oct. 10th, the cemetery said the next day that they were taking them down immediately.
"The family chose a design with the guidance of a Spring Grove employee who unfortunately made an error in judgment," the cemetery's president Gary Freytag told CNN.
"The monument does not fit within Spring Grove Cemetery guidelines, was not approved by senior management and cannot remain here."
Freytag admitted that the mistake was the cemetery's and that if necessary, it would reimburse the family for the entire $26,000 spend on the tombstones.
"I feel terrible that it got to this point but I'm hoping we can come out at the other end of the tunnel with a solution," he told the Associated Press.
The Walker family, however, were not happy with the cemetery's actions. Her sister Kara said that the decision dishonored her sister, who had devoted her life to serving her country.
In an attempt to resolve the issue, cemetery officials met with the Walker family in the middle of October to resolve the issue. According to media reports, the cemetery suggested alternatives: a regular stone capped with a smaller SpongeBob figure, or laying the two large stones flat on the ground after the area had been redesigned to accommodate their size.
But Kimberly's mother, Dorothy, said she is only willing to consider these alternatives if the cemetery is willing to consider returning the original tombstones to their location. Freytag, however, said that his company is willing to look at anything the family wants to do, except return the original stones.
Freytag said he appreciated the service of the two sisters, but the families of other people buried in the cemetery were against the use of cartoon characters in the same graveyard that hold the remains of their loved ones.
As a result, the Walker family, which noted it had a signed contract that allowed it to place the SpongeBob stones, said it is considering legal action as its next step.
The news of the dispute has led to so many calls for and against Spring Grove's decision, that it had to install a special phone extension to deal with the overflow.


Clic here to read the story from its source.