Herhold: A monument to the Vietnam War that raises questions

A rendering of a proposed "Thank You America'' statue in the north plaza of the Santa Clara County building. (Photo courtesy Santa Clara County)

Jim McEntee came about as close to sainthood as our current political life in Santa Clara County permits. As a former priest and the director of the county's human relations for 27 years, he was a passionate advocate for social justice, civil rights and economic fairness.

Above all, McEntee was a man of peace. After county officials named the north plaza at 70 W. Hedding St. after McEntee, they dedicated a glass mural and a "gathering place for peace'' in his honor -- eight benches surrounding tilework of a dove.

Now, a dozen years after McEntee's death, the county is about to muddy that message. A group of Vietnamese-Americans has proposed a "Thank You America'' monument a few yards away, highlighted by a bronze American and a Vietnamese soldier, each carrying a gun.

A rendering of a proposed "Thank You America'' statue in the north plaza of the Santa Clara County building. (Photo courtesy Santa Clara County)

On their agenda Tuesday, (see goo.gl/rx6ZdU), the supervisors will consider designating the site for a work expected to be funded primarily by the Vietnamese-American community, which hopes to raise $300,000. A sketch shows the statue displaying the American flag and the old South Vietnam flag.

To be fair, the "Thank You America Monument'' is proposed for a landscaped area between the old county building -- now the DA's office -- and Hedding Street. As you face the county complex from the north, it's about 40 yards to the right of the McEntee tile work and 25 feet or so from the edge of the plaza itself.

Too close

But let's not tiptoe around the truth. This monument doesn't work next to the McEntee Plaza. I doubt it works on any public property, but certainly not here. McEntee dedicated his life to nonviolence. For all the gratitude behind it, this monument undercuts what he stood for.

To use a crass comparison, it's like the Yankees opening an adjunct area in center field to honor Boston Red Sox players. It's like a vegan place expanding the menu to offer steak and kidney pie. It's like Apple embracing Android. Tired of peace? We've got war a few yards away.

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Herhold: A monument to the Vietnam War that raises questions