[Vision2020] Letter to the Editor on Atwood's Column

[Tom Hansen]

Nick Gier stated:

"Tom Hansen has posted them at www.tomandrodna.com/notonthepalouse/" 

These items are located at:

http://www.NickGier.com/Atwooddebate.htm

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The first duty of a revolutionary is to get away with it."

- Abbie Hoffman 

-----Original Message-----

From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of nickgier at adelphia.net
Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2007 12:11 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Letter to the Editor on Atwood's Column

To the Editor:

Nathan Alford has refused to allow a guest column response to Roy Atwood's
"Restoring Civility to Moscow Without Illusions" (Nov. 30). I've gathered
all the appropriate on-line responses, and Tom Hansen has posted them at
www.tomandrodna.com/notonthepalouse/.  (Attached here as a PDF file.)

The U.S. has a long tradition of harmonious and constructive relations
between private and public education, but for many years Atwood's pastor
Doug Wilson and members of his congregation have attacked public education
in the most venomous ways.

Before the controversy about Wilson's slavery booklet broke, I was on
cordial relations with Atwood, Wilson, and others in Christ Church.  I spent
at least 60 hours helping an NSA student on his thesis on Buddhism. At a
talk I gave to NSA faculty and students in April, 2000, I offered to help
NSA students on the topic of Christian virtue ethics.

In response to Don Meyer's recent letter (Nov. ?) about how nice members of
Christ Church are, I totally agree, but I reserve the right to criticize
their pastor if I believe he has done wrong. National condemnation of Rev.
Ted Haggart in no way reflects the virtues or vices of his congregation.

Atwood praises Tom Lamar for going directly to Wilson about the
demonstration by a Christ Church member calling him a bigot. It is clear,
however, that Glasbrook got the idea for his protest from Wilson, who called
Lamar a bigot on his blog. Wilson has not retracted this outrageous charge.

Atwood praises Lamar for following "Sunday School Ethics," but I submit that
Christ Church and NSA faculty, especially in their attacks on UI faculty, do
not follow any moral theory that I would support.

When community members criticized Christ Church member Paul Kimmel for
infusing neo-Confederate ideas in a Chamber of Commerce presentation, Kimmel
apologized.  I challenge Wilson to repent for bringing these ugly ideas to
Moscow in the first place.
 
Nick Gier, Moscow