<html>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Greetings:<br><br>
I've been out of town for two weeks, so I'm still catching up on a few
issues. I've submitted the following letter to the Daily
News.<br><br>
To the Editor:<br><br>
In his letter (Letters, August ?) Jim Parsons claimed that Paul Kimmell
had responded to all the allegations against him. This is patently
untrue. Consider the following:<br><br>
</font><font face="Symbol" size=2>·
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Kimmell has been repeatedly
asked to explain what the meaning and implication of the “oversight from
the elders” of Christ Church. I know of no other church or
institution in Moscow that would compromise the conscience of any elected
official in this manner.<br><br>
</font><font face="Symbol" size=2>·
</font><font face="Times New Roman, Times">Kimmell has been repeatedly
asked to explain why he chose Robert E. Lee as an example of business
leadership for a town that has just been through a divisive debate about
neo-Confederate influences in Christ Church and Logos School.<br><br>
Kimmell’s pastor Doug Wilson has admitted to displaying the Confederate
flag at a school function and a conservative Presbyterian has written to
this paper attesting to the presence of the flag in Wilson’s
office. <br><br>
On the last page of Kimmell’s presentation he has the audacity to display
the American and Confederate flags side by side with the strong
implication that both are of equal worth, or that they are still in great
tension. Some would call this treason.<br><br>
Steve Wilkins, Wilson’s good friend and co-author of <i>Slavery As It
Was</i>, is a founding director of the League of the South, an
organization dedicated to the withdrawal of 15 states from the union
under the banner of white male Calvinist authority. Wilkins is also
one of the most active student recruiters for New St. Andrews College and
Logos School.<br><br>
When traveling and I identify myself as a Idahoan, I invariably have to
respond: “The potatoes are down south and that the Aryan Nations
compound, thanks to the Southern Poverty Law Center, has been
dismantled.”<br><br>
I dread the thought of Moscow’s image being marred by people who want to
refight the Civil War and bring alien ideas to our fine town.<br><br>
Nick Gier<br><br>
</font></html>