One of the wonderful attributes of the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls is its peaceful serenity and its unquestionable perennial beauty. But now it has become politicized with the installation of an anti-racism memorial plaque. Why can’t the natural beauty of the plantings together with the soothing lines of the arches speak for themselves?
Most people take the bridge stroll simply to lose themselves amid the unspoken tranquility of the experience itself, not to be reminded of the cruelty and tumult so routinely surrounding us in our day-to-day lives.
Does the bridge have a history of denying its beauty to certain members of society? Why not let its universal beauty speak quietly for itself? Why sully its real and existential beauty with issues that have never touched its presence?
Brad Brigham
Colrain