Bosnian town erects world's first Bruce Lee statue

[craigdawg]

This is only a little weird...just a little.

MOSTAR, Bosnia (Reuters) - Bosnia's southern town of Mostar unveiled the world's first statue of kung fu legend Bruce Lee on Saturday, paying homage to a childhood hero of all its divided ethnic groups.

The life-size 1.68 meter (5ft 7in) bronze statue is situated in Mostar's central park, close to the former front line of Bosnia's 1992-95 civil war. A decade after the conflict, Mostar's Muslim and Croat inhabitants remain deeply split.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051126/wl_nm/bosnia_brucelee_dc

 

[2nyRiggz]

well they have a statue of rocky in philly it only seems right


Bless

 

[iMeowbot]

It makes some sense in a way.

"He's far [enough] away from us that nobody can ask what he did during World War II, during World War I, or what his ancestors did under Turkey. He's ... not Catholic, not Orthodox, not Muslim," says Veselin Gatalo, head of Mostar's Urban Movement group. "Bruce Lee is part of our idea of universal justice - that the good guys can win."

link

 

[JesseJames]

People need their heroes. From wherever they can get them.
If Bruce Lee can neutrally represent an ideal and virtues to the people that is worth striving for, then more power to them.
I wonder why they can't prop up a hero from amongst themselves- historical or contemporary?

 

[Counterfit]

I originally thought "what the ****?" but if it helps bring the people, who have been deeply divided, closer together, then I suppose it's a good thing.

 

[Lacero]

Bruce Lee would be proud.

How about a nice cold drink everyone?

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[Ugg]

Mostar definitely needs something, even the bus station had bullet holes still showing and half the town is still a bombed out wreck. I wonder how wise it is in the long run though to find your heroes outside your own culture?

 

[devilot]

I know someone who idolizes Bruce Lee; he'd be bummed because he just visited Europe and Croatia last summer-- just missed this statue. That is interesting, though, the reasoning behind such a statue.

 

[Counterfit]

Mostar definitely needs something, even the bus station had bullet holes still showing and half the town is still a bombed out wreck.

Well, the post office in Dublin still has bullet holes...

 

[Ugg]

Well, the post office in Dublin still has bullet holes...

So do a lot of buildings in Europe, but most aren't as recent as those in Bosnia. I was only there for three days but the physical damage is phenomenal and I can only imagine the psychological damage. Buildings can be repaired relatively quickly but I'm sure it'll take a couple of decades, if not more until the country is able to come to terms with what happened.

I guess I shouldn't be so negative about the statue, it is at least positive news and there's precious little of that coming out of Bosnia.

 

[m-dogg]

That's cool I guess...

I'm surprised that no one has ever put up a Bruce Lee statue before. There's gotta be one near Seattle where he's buried, right? But oh well, I guess not.

 

[Counterfit]

So do a lot of buildings in Europe, but most aren't as recent as those in Bosnia. I was only there for three days but the physical damage is phenomenal and I can only imagine the psychological damage. Buildings can be repaired relatively quickly but I'm sure it'll take a couple of decades, if not more until the country is able to come to terms with what happened.

You certainly have a valid point there. The bullet holes on the GPO aren't going to be repaired any time soon.

I guess I shouldn't be so negative about the statue, it is at least positive news and there's precious little of that coming out of Bosnia.

Unfortunately true

 

[Peter Griffin]

What's most surprising is that this is the first Bruce Lee statue ever.

 

[kwajo.com]

What's most surprising is that this is the first Bruce Lee statue ever.

not really, I mean I guess they make statues of people all the time, but Bruce Lee never struck me as the statue type, I mean for a man who was all about movement, how dare we try to keep him frozen in cast metal

 

[OnceUGoMac]

well they have a statue of rocky in philly it only seems right

Not to me. Rocky took place in Philadelphia. When was Lee ever in Bosnia?

 

[Counterfit]

not really, I mean I guess they make statues of people all the time, but Bruce Lee never struck me as the statue type, I mean for a man who was all about movement, how dare we try to keep him frozen in cast metal

Maybe we can make a statue that moves as fast as he did. It'll keep the pigeons off it