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| Rows and rows of books |
Church is not the suggested place for trading gossip. You probably know I'm an old journalist so I'll clarify here and say we have a euphemism for gossip: "background." So like I said, church isn't the best place for such repartee, n'est-ce pas? We ought not repeat gossip. "So we'd better listen good the first time," heh heh.
I have an update on the library matter posted on my companion blog of "Morris of Course." I posted this on Saturday. If you're considerate enough to visit and read, you'll be treated to a small picture of the late Fred Willard at the top. Fred Willard as "Jerry Hubbard" which probably means nothing to you. It's a heads-up to a 1970s TV comedy show, "Fernwood 2nite." Why make mention of Fred Willard today? In connection to the library? You can click on link below to check it out. Oh, and God bless. You see, I really am still a journalist.
FLC plugs away
My church of First Lutheran had the local Methodist pastor as guest today. We of course do not have a regular, guaranteed-not-to-tarnish pastor of our own. Well, neither does Faith Lutheran, our fellow ELCA church in town.
Is everyone just ready to clam up about gay rights now? So that maybe the ELCA churches will no longer be so, well, staggered? Man, we've been nearly down for the count. Sustained a real haymaker. So can everyone just cool it now, and realize we can have totally reasonable accommodations for gays without having a fit? Our ministers do not have to devote sermons on this matter any more.
It is easy to argue that the purpose of church has little or nothing to do with "sexual preference." Back when this matter was fresh, ELCA pastors tried guiding us along. And I smile as I remember how we had an interim, "Pastor Art," who did this in a cryptic and charming way. He referred to the time long ago when Swedes were prodded to accept Norwegians. Or was it the other way around?
The over-arching theme was the need to embrace humanity including those whose lifestyle might trouble us. Thank you, Pastor Art.
We had another interim who I remember took on the subject straight-on. This interim in another sermon came right out and recalled the ways in which he sought to avoid service in the Vietnam war. And it's fascinating because in an earlier time - I'm thinking the 1960s - such a sermon would get you drummed out of the corps. Our regular minister in the 1960s would have had a heart attack.
With time we all came to see what was obvious about the Vietnam war. I shouldn't have to elaborate here. If you don't know, I wouldn't be able to reach you.
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| Librarian Anne Barber |
Fast-forward to the present: Was I able to glean anything new about our public library issue this a.m.? Taking a seat at church coffee hour should bring some insights or revelations, n'est-ce pas? Again I emphasize that I did not bring up the subject. But once it was brought up, I was all ears.
The City of Morris is sort of "teasing" us by not elucidating at all, this at a time when their meetings have to be "closed." And I learned this morning that not only was the first meeting closed, my Lord there were not one but three sheriff's deputies there!
I might use the word "gendarmes" in a light spirit but this brings back memories from when I was at the Morris paper. I did the same thing once with LE terminology in a simple little photo caption. Spirit of levity of course. But I had acquired adversaries in this town. Many of these people I gathered were big shots with their professional standing. So Jim Morrison gets a formal typed letter pointing out that "gendarme" is a term for European policemen.
Well of course it is. Now go and sit under a cow. I mean the letter writer, not Jim.
The letter failed to get me dislodged from my position at the newspaper. I absolutely refused to capitulate to certain special interests, to have certain attitudes dictated to me, especially pertaining to the school and in particular its co-curricular. Those matters should have been handled routinely and professionally. The activities director was allowed to turn a sports banquet/program into a travesty, even though everyone in school leadership knew he was going to do it.
So I was an outlier with my view on things. 
And now? The flare-up of the huge controversy centered in (of all things) the public library? Holy mackerel, how do these things happen? Maybe anything is possible in Morris.
Even after church coffee hour my grasp of the situation is not much improved. But I am bothered by a growing sense that there is something far more serious beneath the surface, beyond the "hints" that we have been allowed to know up until now.
Three sheriff's deputies? Three? In case a riot breaks out in support of the chief librarian? Would this be called for at all? Someone must have been in fear of violence. Is something sinister being concealed at this time?
The public library ought to be a pretty benign institution. A place to check out books, right? How complicated can that be? At present it appears to be a truly grave matter.
We are left with theories, rather groping. So as a result of being at church coffee, I'm wondering: Is there a major clash of what I would call "entities?" You have the City of Morris with its manager who I have never met. This individual is being portrayed as the wicked witch of the west by the librarian's friends.
Could we all just back off from such talk? My instinct is to give Ms. Schrupp a little deference because her laser focus job is to look out for the city's interests. How does the "library board" work into the picture? Wouldn't they be the entity expected to resolve things? Oh my, then there's the Viking Library System. Word is, the city manager is not a fan of the Viking Library System and there may be something to her argument.
Even county is involved
Everything costs money. This in an age where libraries are less important than they once were due to the Internet. And hey let's bring the county commissioners into this because the county provides $ for the Viking System! Wow! And I'm sure these entities all feel "squeezed" all the time.
It's like when the city was approached to give $ for the softball complex and the city said "yes" but in the wake of that, guess what? Well, the softball people came back asking for more! And so the city said "no" and was forced into a defensive stance, when in fact the softball people should have been grateful for the first infusion. But that's how it goes these days: if you give money to something, they just "want more."
And so, can we justify continuing to financially support this thing called "the library" when there are so many other needs out there? Frankly I will take the city manager's side on this.
I don't care that the librarian wants to reach out and be an advocate of UMM. That is an entirely separate sphere of activity. And I'm not sure UMM has the influence locally that it once had. Its very existence now appears threatened unless it can get rid of DEI. But UMM would have to completely re-invent itself, and I'm not sure it can.
Federal $ is being cut off everywhere due to Elon Musk. Federal money reaches into our lives more than we realize. We'll probably end up regretting a lot of these cutbacks. Put your DJT pom-poms aside, all you MAGA people like those who fill the pews at Good Shepherd Lutheran.
Contentiousness centers here right at the present. Nothing to feel happy about.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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