[Vision2020] Christ Church racism charges

Thu Aug 25 16:43:20 PDT 2005

Speaking as someone who has debated, confronted, and spoken publicly about 
the many problems with Christ Church's doctrine, emphases, conduct and other 
things I believe to be wrongful, I would say that while I think there's a 
smugness that can give rise to racist behavior, I don't believe that Doug 
Wilson, et al, are actively and determinedly racist, nor do I believe them 
to be neo-Nazis.

Don't believe, however, that I am in any way defending them, and please read 
further . . .

This is not a defense, since I believe, and have written before, that what 
I've seen from the Kirk is worse even than racism.  I see offenses stemming 
from an elitist, patriarchal, affluent sense of arrogance and disregard for 
others that makes them not only incapable of acknowledging the stain of 
racism on  all of our conduct and throughout our society, but -- worse -- 
leads them to gloat in their lofty positions and jeer at those who would 
question their actions.  This is what allows someone to write something as 
inflammatory and vile as "Southern Slavery" -- the blissful and willful 
ignorance of the damage that such garbage causes, and the perceived right to 
laugh at and scorn those of us who would be appalled.  Not because we can't 
take scorn, but because dismissing concerns about bigotry as silly and 
muddle-headed  is at least as bad as simply being a bigot, and surely 
reveals just as much.

People who hate other races write things like that because of an evil 
mission to educate us all.  People who write such things simply because they 
can, and who not only don't care about the fallout but actually laugh about 
it, are willing to voice some of the arguments of the racist while at the 
same time dismissing anyone who thinks that doing so is a big deal.  The 
racist sincerely believes vicious and stupid things, and is rightly 
condemned.  The man so bathed in privilege, position and power believes 
vicious and stupid things, and laughs at his condemnation.  He couldn't care 
less that anyone would accuse him of racism, so great is his contempt for 
his community, and that, in my mind, is doubly offensive and utterly 
disgraceful coming from the pulpit.

Lastly, I'd say that I have been disappointed that some of Moscow's most 
progressive, liberal voices have been silent about the conduct of Christ 
Church, just as I'm sure I've dropped the ball in not coming out against 
things that others feel are important.  We all do what we can, I guess.  
Still, while you can't always get what you want, you sure can end up with 
what you allow to seep in through doors open equally wide to all ideas, 
regardless of merit.

keely emerine mix

From: "Bill London" <london at moscow.com>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Subject: [Vision2020] Christ Church racism charges
Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2005 10:23:52 -0700

David Johnson's article in today's Tribune (below) is the first time I can 
recall that local media asked black people who live here what they thought 
about Christ Church, Wilson's support of slavery, and their feelings about 
racism here.
Good question from Barbara: is Moscow giving tacit support to racism -- and 
what impact is that having on our town?

BL
---------------------
Departing official sees racism in Moscow

By DAVID JOHNSON
of the Tribune

MOSCOW -- When she moved here four years ago to possibly attend the 
University of Idaho, Barbara Richardson Crouch says she found Moscow to be 
"the friendliest place I'd ever been."

But the 40-year-old Crouch, former executive director of the Latah Economic 
Development Council and wife of former Sheriff Jeff Crouch, says she's 
leaving a town where racism has been given tacit approval.

"The entire town seems to say, 'why are you so upset?' " says Crouch, who is 
black.

She acknowledges many people were upset with her after she told an audience 
of more than 400 that she was leaving because Moscow is not a good place to 
raise a multi-racial family. She made the comments during a panel discussion 
following a local documentary movie titled "My Town." The movie by a 
Washington State University professor chronicled what some people are 
calling a cultural divide in Moscow

"I don't feel anyone has endangered my children or threatened to hurt them," 
says Crouch, "but it's stuff like little kids don't want to be brown, and 
I'm getting out before my little girl doesn't want to be brown."

Mayor Marshall Comstock says Crouch has a right to her opinion, that he 
respects her as a person and a professional, but he doesn't agree with her 
assessment of Moscow. "It's frustrating when we have accusations that this 
is a racist town. I've had many friends, who are minorities, who say this is 
not a racist town."

While her disappointment is directed mostly at local leaders and residents 
who won't acknowledge the problem, Crouch says her ire is directed at Christ 
Church Pastor Doug Wilson. If racism were compared to pregnancy, says 
Crouch, "Doug Wilson might be four months along."

Wilson counters that Crouch has taken a cheap parting shot at him and a 
community that's anything but racist. "The obvious thing is that her husband 
lost the race for sheriff," Wilson says. "I doubt they'd be moving away if 
he'd won."

Jeff Crouch lost his reelection bid last November.

Barbara Crouch also asserts local racism was quickly exposed in the pending 
murder trial here of three black men charged with killing another black man. 
Grand jurors investigating the shooting death of 19-year-old University of 
Idaho football player Eric McMillan have made statements, according to court 
records, that defense attorneys claim are racist in nature.

"If they're convicted, they're going to be convicted purely because they're 
black," Crouch says. "And I'm sick of people in this town saying it (the 
trial) is going to cost so much money. That's the price of having a 
civilized society."

Latah County Prosecutor William Thompson Jr. acknowledges that allegations 
of racial bias have been raised in the murder case, but insists that race 
never played a factor in any of the charges filed. In addition to three 
principals, six family members also were charged with perjury in connection 
with the case.

"The whole damn family went to jail for lying," Crouch says. And that's 
never happened before in Latah County.

Crouch and Jeff Crouch, who is white, have a 20-month-old adopted daughter, 
MinaBella, who is black, and a biological 1-year-old son, Donald Howard 
(D.H.).

"It's just a feeling, and things that people say or don't say," Crouch says 
about an undercurrent of racism that she's found in Moscow. "I told my 
husband when he asked me to marry him that he would never get elected."

The two met, says Crouch, at a Moscow Chamber of Commerce meeting. There was 
an immediate attraction. "We were color blind," she says, "but my family was 
not at all happy ... and some are still not." She says her husband's family 
was much more accepting.

Jeff Crouch has already moved to Norwich, Conn., where he will teach 
criminal justice classes and be a program director at Three River Community 
College. Barbara Crouch's last day with LEDC was Tuesday. She left Wednesday 
with her children to be with her husband and take a new job.

"I clearly wanted to get the hell out of Dodge 18 months ago," says Crouch, 
recalling how the controversy over what she believes to be Wilson's racist 
writings and statements became the subject of public debate.

Wilson co-authored the booklet "Southern Slavery: As it was," which provides 
a biblical defense of slavery. Wilson also recently published a second book, 
titled "Black and Tan: Essays and Exursions on Slavery, Culture War, and 
Scripture in America." In the book's epilogue, Wilson writes:

"We are trinitarian Christians, and our absolute trust is in the Word of 
God. We are biblical absolutists. So the egalitarians are outraged because 
we say it was possible for a godly man to be a slave owner -- because that 
is what the Bible says. And the white separatists are infuriated by us 
because we won't echo their follies on racial intermarriage -- because the 
standard they advance is found nowhere in the Scripture."

Crouch says she was taken aback when only a few outspoken people were upset 
by what Wilson wrote about slavery.

"The first thing I want to say is that there are some wonderful, wonderful 
people here in Latah County," says Crouch, who at her job with LEDC was 
charged with helping diversify and strengthen the local economy.

"It's that just regular people won't say this is a racist thing." And while 
Crouch says many good people belong to Wilson's church, she's disappointed 
they don't take their pastor to task about his views on race.

"If I'm a race baiter, racist or racist pastor, then I'm a thoroughly 
incompetent one," Wilson says. He claims to have a "happily integrated" 
congregation that includes several inter-racial families where Crouch would 
have been more than welcome.

"It just floored me," Wilson says of Crouch's public declaration that she 
didn't want to raise her family here. "That just came out of left field."

Wilson says Crouch apparently bought into the rhetoric of his detractors.

"Basically, we had a lot of people looking for rocks to throw," Wilson says, 
"and they found the race rock."

Christ Church, New St. Andrews College and other local properties with which 
Wilson is connected, continue to be the source of debate over zoning and 
tax-exempt status.

"They want to make everyone live by their idea of Christianity. Ultimately, 
if you say you're a church or school, you're above zoning," Crouch says.

But Crouch stops short of blaming Wilson or Christ Church for bringing 
racism to Moscow. "I don't think it's a racist cult. The only thing Christ 
Church did was let me see it," she says.

------

Johnson may be contacted at deveryone at potlatch.com.

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