[Vision2020] Chief Weaver Said What?

[Melynda Huskey]

Dear Visionaries,

Last week I sent a letter to Roy Atwood of the New St. Andrews College (see 
below).  I haven't gotten a response.  I guess I don't expect one.  (You can 
find the article in question at this link:

http://www.nsa.edu/news/scriptorium%20chal%2004.html

Dear Mr. Atwood:

In reading the New St. Andrews College’s *Scriptorium* for Chalcedon Term, I 
was surprised to find the following comments: “Moscow Police Chief Dan 
Weaver said random acts of vandalism do occur in Moscow, given the large 
university student population, but students have never repeatedly assaulted 
the same building like this. He suggested that this appalling lack of 
criminal diversity was most likely connected to the recent smear campaign 
launched by local tolerance zealots against some of the College's faculty 
and Christ Church members (whose businesses were also vandalized).”  In my 
sadly extensive experience of working with the police in Pullman on 
vandalism cases, I have found that they are careful to refrain from 
assigning even putative guilt without evidence.  The words attributed to 
Chief Weaver struck me as, frankly, implausible.

I contacted Chief Weaver to get his comments on the article.  He 
characterized the article as “a gross generalization.”  He confirmed that he 
had spoken with you about the vandalism.  He recalled that he told you it is 
rare, although not unheard of, for a single business to be repeatedly 
vandalized.  He categorically denied using the phrases “tolerance zealot” or 
“smear campaign,” or even words that could have been interpreted as 
assigning blame to those who have been critical of Christ Church members.  
His recollection was that he said, “Possibly someone is targeting your 
business.”

I find this discrepancy extremely disturbing.  It would be particularly 
unethical of the anonymous author to imply falsely that Moscow’s chief law 
enforcement officer shares both the author’s unsupported opinion as to 
motive and guilt in the vandalism, and his or her opinion of recent critics 
of Christ Church.  I encourage you to consider either retracting or amending 
this article to reflect the truth more fully.

Sincerely,


Melynda Huskey

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