[Vision2020] Good Old Climate
Dick Schmidt
dickschmidt@moscow.com
Tue, 13 Jan 2004 20:00:42 -0800
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Nate,
I just came back from downtown and took a look at your light display. It =
is very nice but what you have is called an "Attractive Nuisance". It is =
just too tempting for someone to tug on the
lights just to see how well they are anchored. If I was 20 and had about =
3 Manhattans in me I may have even tried it.
Next year you should not have it any closer than 10' above the sidewalk =
unless you don't mind it being pulled down. Have some of your accredited =
teachers on your staff show you how it should be done!
I also think you are out of line "blaming" anyone for your lights being =
damaged. If they were my lights I would have had them down by January 1. =
Now they are really tempting because Christmas is so far past.
Dick Schmidt
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Nate Wilson=20
To: vision2020@moscow.com=20
Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 12:05 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] Good Old Climate
Dear People with Perfect Vision,
Farewell. I have been lingering on this list for only one reason. So =
that, at the end of the Christmas season, I might give you a final tally =
of vandalism at New St. Andrews College. In my capacity as freshman =
Rhetoric instructor (a position for which Dr. Gier finds me wildly =
inadequate) I volunteered to become the official Christmas light fellow =
(a position for which even Dr. Gier must admit I have superb academic =
qualifications). The first instance of vandalism occured only two and a =
half hours after the first lights had been hung, and before completion. =
Approximately three weeks later the lights have been vandalized more =
than ten times with between seventy and eighty strands of lights =
damaged, destroyed, or stolen (a graph Mr. Courtney, please). Throughout =
the season damaged strands were repaired, or replaced only to be once =
again vandalized.
Now before everyone piles on in unanimous condemnation of such =
actions, I would like to come to the defense of the vandals. Apparently, =
they have the courage of their convictions. Some people have enough guts =
to type a snippy missive to this forum. Others have the courage to pay =
two dollars to add their names to a list of people who don't like us. =
But the particular war party that cracked their knuckles and got to work =
on the NSA Christmas lights last night had enough courage of their =
convictions to actually risk a felony vandal charge. Of course some =
people, who are always able to grasp the main point at hand, will now =
object to my usage of the insensitive phrase 'war party' but back to the =
issue at hand. I admire people who, when they say 'Not in Our Town', =
really mean it. People who want to do what they can to make us miserable =
here. People who are actually willing to admit that they think it =
illiberal for anyone to let us have Christmas lights.
Of course the fracas of the last few months has had more than a =
few ironies. Tolerance and diversity gurus have successfully created a =
climate in which UI students feel free to vandalize the property of =
Christians. In fact I'm curious if there have actually been any =
businesses downtown, beyond "Christ Church Affiliates" that have been =
vandalized in the last few months. In normal circumstances I would =
suspect such acts of kindness to be more truly random. But lately, =
vandals have seemed more discriminating in their tastes: multi racial =
businesses and a Christian college. At this point I would like to invite =
Mr. Fox to insinuate that I tore down our own Christmas lights in an =
attempt to grab some attention. After all, I have Jewish blood, and we =
do that sort of thing. I would like to invite Andreas to wink, wink, =
nudge, nudge, insuate something about anti-semitism and Christ Church. =
If Wossname Graden would like to bring up the fact that we will most =
likely be contributing to the murder of homosexuals, now would be the =
time. Mr. London, I think asking the City Council to make it officially =
open season on Christ Church members is an excellent idea with historic =
precedent in any number of foreign countries throughout the last =
century.=20
But perhaps the greatest irony of all (even more ironic than Raul =
Sanchez and people on this list using the words, tolerance, diversity, =
theocracy, or research) came when members of the GSA explained, in =
informal conversation, that Dean and Toni Helleckson, part owners of =
Bucer's Coffeehouse, were actually bigoted racists because they adopted =
Haitian children. You see, they were saying that life in white American =
culture is superior to life in black Haitian orphanage culture. And then =
they imposed that view on helpless children.=20
That's what we've come to. Ideas grip. A climate of hatred is =
created. Lights torn down, multi-racial businesses vandalized, official =
unpopularity lists, and we're told that we're the threat. People are =
scared. We're dangerous. You ought to have us put-down because we might =
bite the mailman.
To finally wrap things up, I'm glad we bring meaning and purpose =
to your lives. That's what we're here for. Cheers.
NDW
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Nate,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I just came back from downtown and took =
a look at=20
your light display. It is very nice </FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>but=20
what you have is called an "Attractive Nuisance". It is just too =
tempting for=20
someone to tug on the</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>lights just to see how well they =
are anchored.=20
If I was 20 and had about 3 Man</FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>hattans in me I=20
may have even tried it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Next year you should not have it any =
closer than=20
10' above the si</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>dewalk unless =
you don't mind=20
it being pulled down. Have some of your accredited teachers on your =
staff=20
</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>show you how it should be =
done!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I also </FONT><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>think you are=20
out of line "blaming" anyone for your lights being damaged. If they were =
my=20
lights I would have had them down by January 1. Now they are really =
tempting=20
because Christmas is so far past.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Dick Schmidt</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV=20
style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dnatewilson@moscow.com =
href=3D"mailto:natewilson@moscow.com">Nate=20
Wilson</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dvision2020@moscow.com=20
href=3D"mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, January 12, 2004 =
12:05=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Vision2020] Good Old=20
Climate</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Dear People with Perfect Vision,<BR> Farewell. I =
have been=20
lingering on this list for only one reason. So that, at the end of the =
Christmas season, I might give you a final tally of vandalism at New =
St.=20
Andrews College. In my capacity as freshman Rhetoric instructor (a =
position=20
for which Dr. Gier finds me wildly inadequate) I volunteered to become =
the=20
official Christmas light fellow (a position for which even Dr. Gier =
must admit=20
I have superb academic qualifications). The first instance of =
vandalism=20
occured only two and a half hours after the first lights had been =
hung, and=20
before completion. Approximately three weeks later the lights have =
been=20
vandalized more than ten times with between seventy and eighty strands =
of=20
lights damaged, destroyed, or stolen (a graph Mr. Courtney, please).=20
Throughout the season damaged strands were repaired, or replaced only =
to be=20
once again vandalized.<BR> Now before everyone piles =
on in=20
unanimous condemnation of such actions, I would like to come to the =
defense of=20
the vandals. Apparently, they have the courage of their convictions. =
Some=20
people have enough guts to type a snippy missive to this forum. Others =
have=20
the courage to pay two dollars to add their names to a list of people =
who=20
don't like us. But the particular war party that cracked their =
knuckles and=20
got to work on the NSA Christmas lights last night had enough courage =
of their=20
convictions to actually risk a felony vandal charge. Of course some =
people,=20
who are always able to grasp the main point at hand, will now object =
to my=20
usage of the insensitive phrase 'war party' but back to the issue at =
hand. I=20
admire people who, when they say 'Not in Our Town', really mean it. =
People who=20
want to do what they can to make us miserable here. People who are =
actually=20
willing to admit that they think it illiberal for anyone to let us =
have=20
Christmas lights.<BR> Of course the fracas of the =
last few=20
months has had more than a few ironies. Tolerance and diversity gurus =
have=20
successfully created a climate in which UI students feel free to =
vandalize the=20
property of Christians. In fact I'm curious if there have actually =
been any=20
businesses downtown, beyond "Christ Church Affiliates" that have been=20
vandalized in the last few months. In normal circumstances I would =
suspect=20
such acts of kindness to be more truly random. But lately, vandals =
have seemed=20
more discriminating in their tastes: multi racial businesses and a =
Christian=20
college. At this point I would like to invite Mr. Fox to insinuate =
that I tore=20
down our own Christmas lights in an attempt to grab some attention. =
After all,=20
I have Jewish blood, and we do that sort of thing. I would like to =
invite=20
Andreas to wink, wink, nudge, nudge, insuate something about =
anti-semitism and=20
Christ Church. If Wossname Graden would like to bring up the fact that =
we will=20
most likely be contributing to the murder of homosexuals, now would be =
the=20
time. Mr. London, I think asking the City Council to make it =
officially open=20
season on Christ Church members is an excellent idea with historic =
precedent=20
in any number of foreign countries throughout the last century.=20
<BR> But perhaps the greatest irony of all (even =
more ironic=20
than Raul Sanchez and people on this list using the words, tolerance,=20
diversity, theocracy, or research) came when members of the GSA =
explained, in=20
informal conversation, that Dean and Toni Helleckson, part owners =
of =20
Bucer's Coffeehouse, were actually bigoted racists <I>because</I> they =
adopted=20
Haitian children. You see, they were saying that life in white =
American=20
culture is superior to life in black Haitian orphanage culture. And =
then they=20
imposed that view on helpless children. <BR> That's =
what=20
we've come to. Ideas grip. A climate of hatred is created. Lights torn =
down,=20
multi-racial businesses vandalized, official unpopularity lists, and =
we're=20
told that we're the threat. People are scared. We're dangerous. You =
ought to=20
have us put-down because we might bite the =
mailman.<BR> To=20
finally wrap things up, I'm glad we bring meaning and purpose to your =
lives.=20
That's what we're here for. =
Cheers.<BR><BR>NDW<BR></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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