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<DIV>It was an unfortunate incident and probably could have been better handled
by both parties, and handled in a way that brought out the best for all
concerned, especially the disabled individual. But at least there seems to
be some agreement on some of the "facts."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chasuk wrote:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff>"Hopper's allegations are supported only by his
word. ... I do know that Hopper is the type of man who has no qualms
destroying a person's life over an unprovable claim."</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff><BR> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV>However, if we are to believe Omie Drawhorn of the <EM>Daily News</EM>,
part of Hopper's claim seems not to be disputed<EM>,</EM> for
example:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>"Hopper said he then told Johnson
that Skelton wasn't drunk, but disabled.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>"He [Johnson] said <STRONG>'How
should I know? He should wear a goddamn sign around his neck,'</STRONG> " Hopper
said.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>When Hopper threatened to write a
letter to the editor about the incident, Johnson told Hopper he could write two
for all he cared.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff>"He had plenty of time to say he
misunderstood, but he just became enraged again," Hopper said.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=#0000ff><STRONG>Johnson said he did say
those things, but he was provoked."</STRONG></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I don't know either Johnson or Hopper. I have eaten twice at
Archies.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am concerned about two things however, the first of major concern, the
second, not so much:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1. The quote, apparently accurate and made while
provoked, Johnson made about disabled persons: "<FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>How
should I know? He should wear a goddamn sign around his neck," ...
</STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#000000>is disturbing. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Aside from being grossly insensitive and demonstrating an
attitude about disabled persons not particularly admirable, it is not the
kind of thing an astute businessperson who has just "come to Moscow and invested
$650,000 in this town" should say in public no matter what his private
feelings.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2. The claim made by Chasuk as a response to
the <EM>Daily </EM>News article that <FONT color=#0000ff>"Hopper's allegations
are <STRONG>supported only by his word</STRONG>."</FONT> and <FONT
color=#0000ff> "Hopper is the type of man who has no qualms destroying a
person's life over an <STRONG>unprovable claim</STRONG>." i</FONT>s not
supported by the article to unless we assume Drawhorn is mistaken or
lying. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do not think that Johnson and Archies have been irretrievably damaged
here. What will determine how much damage, if any, occurs is how Johnson
responds now that there has been time to cool down and evaluate. I see
that Tom Hansen has posted what appears to be a oral interview with
Johnson. I cannot listen to it as my computer sound is not working
correctly so I do not know what Johnson has said so far. It is not my
place to advise Johnson on how to execute damage control, but at least some of
it should be obvious.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>This incident presents what an experienced teacher would call a
<STRONG>teachable moment</STRONG>. I tried to make my contribution of some
things that might be learned in my response yesterday. Some people
have understood; others obviously not.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The continuation of this discussion has not yet reduced its value as a
teachable moment. I hope that others much more qualified than I on the
non-epistemological aspects of this issue will continue to help us all to learn
to be better able to more sensitively and effectively deal with situations which
Hopper and Johnson faced, and to demonstrate compassion to those innocently much
less abled than most of us.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Wayne A. Fox<BR>1009 Karen Lane<BR>PO Box 9421<BR>Moscow, ID
83843</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>(208) 882-7975<BR><A
href="mailto:waf@moscow.com">waf@moscow.com</A><BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2007-March/042871.html">http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/2007-March/042871.html</A></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>From: "Chasuk" <<A
href="mailto:chasuk@gmail.com">chasuk@gmail.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>To: "Art Deco" <<A
href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>Cc: "Vision 2020" <<A
href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</A>></DIV>
<DIV>Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 12:36 PM</DIV>
<DIV>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Archies on the Square [DN Article: Read carefully
and completely]</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>> The accusation of discrimination against the disabled is as
corrosive<BR>> to a person's reputation as an accusation of rape. No
proof is<BR>> necessary; the damage is instant and irreversible.<BR>>
<BR>> I don't know Tom Hopper, and I don't know Jim Johnson, but that
this<BR>> private misunderstanding has turned into a public crucifixion makes
me<BR>> nauseous. Hopper's allegations are supported only by his word.
I have<BR>> no reason to believe Johnson's word over Hopper's (or vice
versa), but<BR>> I do know that Hopper is the type of man who has no qualms
destroying<BR>> a person's life over an unprovable claim.<BR>></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<H2>Residents protest restaurant owner's treatment of man; Another protest
planned outside Archie's on the Square</H2>
<P
style="MARGIN-TOP: 0pt; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt"></P>
<P style="MARGIN-TOP: 0pt; FONT-SIZE: 12px; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0pt">By Omie
Drawhorn, <EM>Daily News</EM> staff writer</P>
<P style="FONT-SIZE: 10px">Tuesday, March 27, 2007 - Page Updated at 12:06:00
PM</P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14px">
<P>A group of Moscow residents protested in Friendship Square on Sunday in
response to an alleged incident of discrimination against a disabled man.
Protestors plan to return this Sunday as well.</P>
<P>The incident started when Moscow residents Tom Hopper and Dan Skelton, 34,
visited Archie's on the Square for breakfast Sunday.</P>
<P>Skelton, who is nonverbal and severely disabled, was excited to be there,
said Hopper, who has served as Skelton's caregiver for 10 years.</P>
<P>"He's mobile and real social. He's like a social butterfly and wants to say
'Hi' to everyone," Hopper said. "He was making noises, like 'hey, hey, hey' to
the hostess."</P>
<P>Hopper said the two followed the hostess between the co-owner of Archies, Jim
Johnson, and two customers he was talking to.</P>
<P>"The very nature of the restaurant is when you are seated you have to walk
between them," Hopper said.</P>
<P>Skelton stopped to sign to Johnson that he was really excited to be there and
wanted to eat.</P>
<P>"(Johnson) instantly became angry that he was interrupted," Hopper said.</P>
<P>Hopper said Johnson told him, "Will you do something about this now?"</P>
<P>After the two walked over to sit down, Hopper said Johnson told him, "This
guy is bad for business, my friend."</P>
<P>"I thought, OK, I guess he doesn't want us to eat here," Hopper said.</P>
<P>So the two left for The Breakfast Club.</P>
<P>Johnson said he was in no way disrespectful to Hopper and Skelton.</P>
<P>"They walked in and got between two senior customers I was talking to," he
said. "I was just starting to say, 'How was your breakfast?' when the young man
stepped between the table and me and started making weird grunting noises,
grabbing my hand and shaking it. I thought he was either drunk or on PCP."</P>
<P>He said Skelton stayed in his face with his rear end in the face of the
customers.</P>
<P>Johnson said he did tell Hopper and Skelton that Skelton's behavior wasn't
good for business, but he didn't realize Skelton was disabled and just assumed
the two would sit down and have breakfast.</P>
<P>After they finished eating at The Breakfast Club, Hopper called Archie's to
talk to the owner about the way he and Skelton were treated.</P>
<P>Hopper discovered that Johnson was the restaurant's co-owner.</P>
<P>"I told him that I thought we were treated pretty rudely and he said
(Skelton) was rude and for all he knew Dan was drunk," Hopper said.</P>
<P>Hopper said he then told Johnson that Skelton wasn't drunk, but disabled.</P>
<P>"He said 'How should I know? He should wear a goddamn sign around his neck,'
" Hopper said.</P>
<P>When Hopper threatened to write a letter to the editor about the incident,
Johnson told Hopper he could write two for all he cared.</P>
<P>"He had plenty of time to say he misunderstood, but he just became enraged
again," Hopper said.</P>
<P>Johnson said he did say those things, but he was provoked.</P>
<P>"He accused me of being rude and mean-spirited to a mentally handicapped
person," Johnson said. "Both the waitress and I witnessed this along with the
senior couple and our first impression was that he consumed a large amount of
alcohol. (Hopper) said I should have known, but I don't know what signing means.
It didn't look like anything in the movies, it was weird gibberish with him
slapping himself on the chest or chin."</P>
<P>Johnson said he indicated that Hopper do his job and gently escort Skelton
out of the situation.</P>
<P>"I thought this never happens, I should at least protest this," Hopper
said.</P>
<P>Hopper and Skelton showed up in Friendship Square on Sunday with yellow
signs. They were joined by about 20 other people who had heard about the
protest.</P>
<P>"There were people in there, kids in his restaurant, but (Johnson) stood
there for a while and flipped us off," he said.</P>
<P>Johnson denied making the gesture toward the protestors, although he said he
told the protestors to come back again because he had more business than the
previous Sunday.</P>
<P>Hopper said he isn't seeking vengeance.</P>
<P>"This is just bizarre," he said. "He's starting a restaurant and he needs
community support to make a living, but he's not willing to support the
community."</P>
<P>Johnson said the situation has been an absolute nightmare.</P>
<P>"My friends and employees know in my wildest dreams I would never pull what
people are accusing me of," he said. "I've come to Moscow and invested $650,000
in this town. I'm 63 years old, this is my last hurrah. We are busting our hinds
for every bit of business so we can have this investment pay off."</P>
<P>Johnson said no matter what happens, he'll be painted in a negative
light.</P>
<P>"No matter what I say people are going to believe what they want to believe,"
he said.</P>
<P>Omie Drawhorn can be reached at(208) 882-5561, ext. 234 or by e-mail at <A
href="mailto:odrawhorn@dnews.com">odrawhorn@dnews.com</A>.</P></SPAN></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>