[Vision2020] Daily News Got It Wrong

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (January 5, 2010) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with
thanks to Joe Campbell.

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Daily News got it wrong

The paper's account of Moscow's recent history (Jan. 2 & 3) was less than
fully accurate.

For instance, in discussing Doug Wilson's "Southern Slavery: As it Was,"
the paper claims "community members took to vandalizing businesses owned
by people associated with Christ Church and Wilson" due to controversy
over the book.

There is not one instance where it was discovered that a community member
vandalized "businesses owned by people associated with Christ Church." The
only confirmed case of "vandalism" was an offensive comment written in
chalk on public property in Friendship Square. And no one knows who did
that. The Daily News account is irresponsible in the same way that it
would be irresponsible for the Daily News to speculate that members of
Christ Church vandalized the atheist billboard on U.S. Highway 95.

Also, the controversy about Wilson's book was not merely ideological. Some
of the controversy was because the book was plagiarized.

Lastly, the paper writes that NSA "had been on South Main Street since
2002, but changes to city law required the school - and other educational
institutions - to obtain a conditional use permit to operate in the
downtown business district."

But if you look at the law in question, the change was made "to allow
schools, commercial schools and/or educational institutions by conditional
use permit in certain commercial and special zoning districts."

NSA began in a residential neighborhood, in violation of the city zoning
code. It was duly and clearly informed of its violation. It moved
downtown, first to one location near Main Street and then to its current
location. Each time its new location violated city code and each time NSA
was duly informed. The change in law allowed NSA to remain downtown,
contrary to the city code. It was not a burden but a gift from the city to
NSA.

Joseph Keim Campbell
Moscow

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Thanks, Joe.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

“I’ll just speak for our church, in Christ Church. If I found out that a
member of our church or a church officer was lying to non-believers in the
community, as a way to get by or protect themself or protect his
reputation, yes, he’d be disciplined.”

- Doug Wilson (January 31, 2007)
http://www.tomandrodna.com/protest/Doug_Wilson_Liers_013107.mp3