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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Visionaries:</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>The current community discussion centered around the serving
of foie gras (as supply allows) at Moscow’s newest restaurant, West of
Paris, offers a splendid example of the cultural divide between those within
the Christ Church covenant and those who stand apart from it. The topic
of a specific controversy, i.e., slavery in the antebellum South, observance of
city ordinances, human rights, the separation of church and state, or serving foie
gras, is immaterial. The ensuing drama is always the same.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Act One: The Temperamental Chef</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>A representative or member of </span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'>Christ</span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'> </span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'>Church</span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'> acts or communicates in a way
guaranteed to garner a spirited response from the larger community. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Act Two: The Pot Is Stirred</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>The dramatic tension rises with the introduction of howls
of religious persecution, protests of righteousness, and claims of victimization
on the one hand; countered by appeals to well-documented history, the city
code, and respect for human rights on the other. Gratuitous insults are
exchanged by all parties (this represents the comedic aspect of the play).</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Act Three: Gag Me With A Spoon</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>The denouement includes a public denunciation of opponents
by all parties and occasionally, intervention by government entities (generally
interpreted as an insufficient remedy by one side, or, a vivid example of
divine blessing and approval of the precipitating action or words by the other).
Unlike a well–crafted play, the audience is consequently denied a reasonable
resolution. Instead, a hardening of previously held positions, a
shouldering of additional grudges, and a strong premonition – given the current
cast – that within six months the production will again be on center
stage in Moscow. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Throwing aside (only for a moment) the religious components
that cloak any </span></font><font face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'>Christ</span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'> </span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'>Church</span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'> related topic, what reaction
did Monsieur Foucachon expect when he announced in an interview with the Daily
Evergreen Newspaper</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'><a
href="http://www.dailyevergreen.com/disp_story.php?storyId=18351">http://www.dailyevergreen.com/disp_story.php?storyId=18351</a>
“ his new restaurant </span></font><font color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-family:Georgia;color:black'>is just the opposite of what most
Americans consider acceptable meals…[instead] he wants to use the French
"gastronomy" style of cooking to show people how to truly enjoy
dining again.”</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'>Were we, the
dim-witted denizens of the Palouse, suppose to clap our dirty paws together in anticipatory
glee when a former Presbyterian minister from </span></font><font color=black
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia;color:black'>Lyon</span></font><font
color=black face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia;color:black'>, </span></font><font
color=black face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia;color:black'>France</span></font><font
color=black face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia;color:black'> promises
to unlock the secrets of fine dining for us? Once again, the hubris
of a Kirker trumps good manners, gracious humility, and tellingly, by his own belittling
words and know-it-all attitude, sabotages his new business. (A little FYI
to Monsieur Foucachon, I don’t know anyone who raises their kids on
corndogs and cotton candy much less anyone who routinely relies on squat and
gobble eateries for dinner. ) Thus ends Act One.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'>In a private email to
me, Monsieur Foucachon confirmed the accuracy of the Daily News article by</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>Alexis Bacharach, Published: </span></font><font face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'>08-23-2006</span></font><font
face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia'>“He wants local activists,
who got their hands on an outdated menu earlier this week, to know their
threats of protest mean nothing to him or his staff….. “"This
is a group that was looking for something to use against my business and they
found something," he said. "While I believe there are some valid
concerns here, I'm not going to stop serving what people want. I will put foie
gras on my menu again." </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><font size=3 face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=black face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:black'>The translation (for
those who aren’t familiar with Kirk speak) is this: Speaking for
myself and family, as is my divine right in a federal household, I don’t
care who I offend especially if they are picking on me for religious reasons. Furthermore,
I will continue to offend those people because even if there are ethical issues
involved I can profit from the transactions while enjoying the bonus of
flipping off pagans who are bound for hell. My real friends, connoisseurs
who gladly gulp great gobs of greasy goose liver, applaud my moral courage and
great business vision. </span></font><font color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
style='font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>West of Paris, sans
foie gras was always a precarious venture. Zume’s failure should
have been a red flag to Mr. Foucachon. Despite the self-serving encouragement
emanating from those who risked nothing, and disregarding the unhappy institutional
affiliation with New St. Andrews, an expensive French restaurant with a
pretentious menu is probably not going to a successful venture in </span></font><font
color="#333333" face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>Moscow</span></font><font
color="#333333" face=Georgia><span style='font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>. While
it is handy to have a cast of thousands to blame, ultimately, the
responsibility rests on Mr. Foucachon – not on the folks who refuse to
patronize West of Paris.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>End of Act
Two: hold the applause please, this sad tale offers nothing to clap
about.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color="#333333" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Georgia;color:#333333'>Act Three: Yet to be
performed.</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Finally, and in my view, most importantly, I must comment
on the religious aspect of this new Kirk related debacle. I am offended
beyond measure that while children go to bed hungry on the Palouse, single
mothers or fathers agonize over inadequate means with which to feed and care
for their families, elderly or disabled people choose between buying food or paying
rent, a former minister an avowed Christian puts his money and his efforts into
inaugurating an elitist restaurant where fat-assed, gluttonous, bearded, bores swill
expensive wine and lick their oily, pendulous chops in anticipated of a cholesterol-laden
feast. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Francis Foucachon, I say to you in truth, re-think this
venture. Establish a soup kitchen where your skills will be appreciated
and respected. Feed the hungry for free and those of us with the
resources to do so will gladly pay for their soup, salad, and sandwiches as
well as our own. Use your daughter’s considerable skill in interior
design to create a space of beauty and peace that nourishes the soul as well as
the eye of all diners. Treat those with the greatest needs with the
greatest respect. Create a testimony with your life that truly glorifies
God by serving those who are suffering, hungry and vulnerable. </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'>Rose Huskey</span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face=Georgia><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Georgia'> </span></font></p>
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