[Vision2020] MCA and Phil Nisbet's post

[Bruce and Jean Livingston]

As a Board member of the Moscow Civic Association, I must respond to the following paragraph in Phil Nisbet's recent post.  

Phil said:

"The Moscow Civic Association is not some powerless little band of 
Brothers.  I know that for a fact.  They throw a meeting and the 
politicians come running.  They complain that the CCers are planning on 
holding some conference at U of I, yet in the same breathe, crow that 
they have rented the Kenworthy to air their own films condemning the 
CCers, to benefit their radio show that touts their political views."

First, while we appreciate that Phil thinks the MCA has politicians at their beck and call, we know better.  Sometimes they listen; sometimes they don't.  

With respect to our battle over the Naylor Farms water rights application, we ultimately were successful at getting politicians involved.  However, there sure was a shortage of politicians showing any interest in fighting Naylor on this issue until recently, especially in the City of Moscow, so I think that the community uproar over the Naylor water right application and its initial grant (since retracted, thankfully, and keep your fingers crossed) has at least as much to do with the sudden interest in water by many of the newly interested politicians who are jumping on the bandwagon.  [As an aside, we appreciate the interest and more serious efforts to contest the Naylor water right application by our County Commissioners, Kimmell, Nelson and Stroschein.]

As for the Christ Church conference that Phil references, the Trinity Fest in August, we are not involved in anything regarding that conference and have made no plans to even discuss it, much less take some action with respect to it.  It is not on our radar.

Perhaps Phil is confused by the fact that we did sponsor an alternative view of slavery from that offered in Pastor Douglas Wilson's booklet, "Slavery as it Was," at the same time as an earlier Christ Church history conference in February 2004 at the U of I.  We objected to the Wilson booklet's portrayal of slavery as a pleasant and harmonious relationship based upon "mutual affection and confidence."  We thought it appropriate to present an alternative view while Wilson and his League of the South co-author were presenting at the Christ Church Credenda Adenda history conference, and Wilson was lionizing confederate racist R.L. Dabney for his exemplary christian beliefs.

Likewise contrary to Phil's post, the Auntie Establishment and Brother Carl radio show on KRFP is unaffiliated with the Moscow Civic Association.  We are not involved with that show, and we are not involved in sponsoring the Mike Hayes documentary at the Kenworthy.  The documentary sponsorship is a project of the radio show hosts, Joan Opyr and Carl Westburg.  

Nor did MCA have anything to do with the production of the documentary itself.  Mike Hayes, a WSU professor, did it on his own.  Not having seen the documentary, I have no idea what is said, but my understanding is that it involves interviews of various people in the community with different viewpoints, including Pastor Wilson himself.  I expect the documentary offers a variety of views based on the people who are reputed to be in it.

So you see, Phil, we aren't complaining about the upcoming Christ Church conference, we aren't renting the Kenworthy, and we aren't showing a movie or airing a radio show.

But we're glad to know that some politicians are listening to us.  Perhaps that's because we try not to make grand overstatements, and instead try to base our arguments and requests on facts.

Bruce Livingston
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20050614/a103a5e5/attachment.htm