Holy Moses! The 10 Commandments under fire, 32 years ago

In the summer of 1985, Madison’s Freedom from Religion Foundation launched its first effort to have a 10 Commandments marker removed from La Crosse’s Cameron Park.  It was the most prominent complaint anyone had made about the stone monument since it was installed in to honor volunteers who battled the 1965 flood.  About 800 people signed petitions, asking the city to keep the marker in the park…and the city council voted to leave it there.
 
Stripping and nude dancing were considered a threat to the community by some folks in 1985.  There were objections to a local ‘strip joint’ called ‘Flash,’ and although Mayor Pat Zielke said he resented people portraying La Crosse as a ‘den of iniquity,’ he suggested that if he had to vote on banning nude dancing, he would support a ban.
 
The most popular shows on TV in early 1985 were Dynasty at #1, followed by Dallas in 2nd place, and the first-season hit, The Cosby Show.  There was a detective show craze that year, including new series called ‘Me and Mom,’ ‘Detective in the House,’ ‘I Had Three Wives,’ and a show with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis called ‘Moonlighting.’  Thirty-two years ago, yesterday in La Crosse.