[Vision2020] Arrogant, Insincere Con Artisty Answers

Melynda Huskey mghuskey@msn.com
Tue, 9 Dec 2003 19:39:42 -0800


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I'm concerned to hear that New St. Andrews lost a string of Christmas lig=
hts and that anyone is spitting on doors.  If there's one thing Moscow ne=
eds a lot less of, it's spitting.

I understand firsthand just how troubling this kind of situation can be. =
 The version I'm familiar with usually starts with someone declaring that=
 homosexuality is condemned by God and would be punished by death in a mo=
re Biblical world, and ends with the words "Fags must die" scrawled acros=
s a student's door.  And because I've had that experience, I won't ask, a=
s some people might, how you know that it was "our" people who performed =
the acts of vandalism.  Instead, I'll offer you my sincere regrets that a=
nyone would target you all in that way.  In my experience, the police are=
 rarely able to help in such matters, and the vandalism may well be repea=
ted, which is both painful and frustrating.

I also wonder if members of our community can negotiate the delicate grou=
nd of declaring our (often diametrically oppposed) points of view without=
 leading to situations like the one we find ourselves in.  Doug Wilson ha=
s, of course, every right in the world to express his views on the racial=
 harmony of the slaveholding South; I have a similar right to repudiate t=
hat view as ignorant and hateful.  I have every right to uphold the civil=
 rights of gay and lesbian people, while Doug likewise may declare that s=
odomites like me should pack our bags and get out before the stones start=
 to fly.  Neither of us should shut up, but neither of us should expect o=
thers to agree with us.  Where does that leave us?

I think there's something other than slavery, the Confederacy, or conserv=
ative Presbyterianism at stake here.  As Christ Church and its related in=
dustries have grown, taken on more visibility, and purchased a number of =
properties downtown, I think that non-church members have grown anxious a=
bout Moscow's future.  That anxiety has been increased by public statemen=
ts from church leaders about "evangelizing the Palouse" or "establishing =
a Zion," and by the role played by Christ Church members in such local po=
licy decisions as the public nudity ordinance.  For whatever reason, thos=
e anxieties suddenly issued forth, which might explain why views that hav=
e been essentially uncontroversial for ten years are suddenly the topic o=
f such heated discussion.

I don't have any answers.  I'd like to believe that civil co-existence is=
 possible.  It's a primary tenet of conflict resolution that we must move=
 closer to our conflicts to resolve them.  But it's also necessary that a=
ll parties be present in good faith.

Melynda Huskey  Get more from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : http=
://explorer.msn.com

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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <=
DIV>I'm concerned to hear that New St. Andrews lost a string of Christmas=
 lights and that anyone is spitting on doors.&nbsp; If there's one thing =
Moscow needs a lot less of, it's spitting.</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>I=
 understand&nbsp;firsthand just how troubling this kind of situation can =
be.&nbsp; The version I'm familiar with usually starts with someone decla=
ring that homosexuality is condemned by God and would be punished by deat=
h in a more Biblical world, and ends with the words "Fags must die" scraw=
led across a student's door.&nbsp; And because I've had that experience, =
I won't ask, as some people might, how you know that it was "our" people =
who performed the acts of vandalism.&nbsp; Instead, I'll offer you my sin=
cere regrets that anyone would target you all in that way.&nbsp;&nbsp;In =
my experience, the police are rarely able to help in such matters, and th=
e vandalism may well be repeated, which is both painful and frustrating.<=
/DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>I also wonder&nbsp;if members of our communi=
ty can negotiate the delicate ground of declaring our (often diametricall=
y oppposed) points of view without leading to situations like the one we =
find ourselves in.&nbsp; Doug Wilson has, of course, every right in the w=
orld to express his views on the racial harmony of the slaveholding South=
; I have a similar right to repudiate that view as ignorant and hateful.&=
nbsp; I have every right to uphold the civil rights of gay and lesbian pe=
ople, while Doug likewise may&nbsp;declare that sodomites like me should =
pack our bags and get out before the stones start to fly.&nbsp;&nbsp;Neit=
her of us should shut up, but neither of us should expect others to agree=
 with us.&nbsp; Where does that leave us?</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>I =
think there's something other&nbsp;than slavery, the Confederacy, or cons=
ervative Presbyterianism at stake here.&nbsp; As Christ Church and its re=
lated industries have grown, taken on more visibility,&nbsp;and purchased=
 a number of properties downtown, I&nbsp;think that non-church members ha=
ve grown anxious about Moscow's future.&nbsp; That anxiety has&nbsp;been =
increased by public statements from church leaders about "evangelizing th=
e Palouse" or "establishing a Zion,"&nbsp;and by the role played by Chris=
t Church members in such local policy decisions as the public nudity ordi=
nance.&nbsp;&nbsp;For whatever reason, those anxieties suddenly issued fo=
rth, which might explain why views that have been essentially uncontrover=
sial for ten years are suddenly the topic of such heated discussion.</DIV=
> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>I don't have any answers.&nbsp; I'd like to beli=
eve that&nbsp;civil co-existence is possible.&nbsp; It's a primary tenet =
of conflict resolution that we must move closer to our conflicts to resol=
ve them.&nbsp; But it's also&nbsp;necessary that all parties be present i=
n good faith.</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>Melynda Huskey&nbsp; </DIV> <D=
IV>&nbsp;</DIV> <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=3Dall><hr>Get mo=
re from the Web.  FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=3D'http://explorer=
msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>

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