Madness in the mid-west
The following Letter to the Editor was published in the Morris Sun Tribune on Wednesday 20th April 2005.
Smear campaign on Cootie Shots
Apparently there has been a smear campaign aimed at the production of Cootie Shots which will be playing at the UMM theater. I am greatly saddened to think that the schools in our area were so easily influenced into cancelling the planned trip to see the play. Apparently, not only the children of our burg need to be educated about the realities of bullying.
There is a preview of the show Wednesday, and I hope all concerned parents attend. If the content is as unobjectionable as claimed by the director (who is apparently one of few who actually knows what the content is) then I hope parents will consider taking their children, or sending them with groups who have indicated they still intend to go.
I especially would challenge the authors of this campaign of misinformation — who have apparently not identified themselves — to go to the preview. If, after all, the concerns were justified, then they can feel vindicated. If not, and the claims of the director prove out, then I think an apology to that director is in order.
I was very impressed with the apparent thought and consideration that the director showed, in the sympathetic dealings with content choice, and the patient and thorough answers provided to concerns voiced (Morris Sun Tribune, April 16). Though I have no children in the Morris school system, I plan to attend a showing of Cootie Shots in order to judge for myself whether this hullabaloo was as blown out of proportion as I suspect. Sadly, with the show no longer part of the school’s planned day, I fear the result will be that far fewer children will benefit from a day of fun and education.
Dori Coler, Morris
July 5th, 2005 at 3:22 pm
W/R/T Hats off in Mourning
Dear Pete:
Yes, I agree. Sadly, Mel Foss is a smalltime self-appointed minder of the moral structure of the US, something he does from his lofty position as a weekly columnist for the Norwood/Young America Times (circ. ~2400). Unfortunately, he represents most of what is repugnant in American Christianity today: self-righteous, bigoted, judgemental, and just plain unpleasant. I’ve read his column periodically and he loves wrapping his little local prejudices selective Bible quotations as if that made them more palatable. Mel exemplifies the statement “You can tell a Christian, but you cannot tell him much!”
A lot of my friends are gay. One of my kids is a lesbian. She’s getting her Ph.D, on full scholarship, no less. Her partner, who already has her Ph.D., is doing very well in her chosen profession (”Good, good, you married a doctor!” ). I am as proud of her as I am of the other two kids. Life is short and people should find whoever they can to bond with that makes them happier and fills their lives with love. The plumbing doesn’t matter.
Mel’s attitude, both as stated here and in his columns, that she and anyone like her deserves whatever they get because they’re a moral blight on the face of ‘Murrka is both un-American and un-Christian. While he has a right to his opinions and to state them, I am also reminded that the problem with free speech is that you have to put up with a lot of c***.