Roger Varley Dec 18, 2008
Roger Varley has been in the news business almost 40 years with The Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Uxbnridge Times-Journal, Richmond Hill Liberal and Uxbridge Cosmos. Co-winner with two others of CCNA natrional feature writing award. In Scout movement over 30 years, almost 25 as a leader. Took Uxbridge youths to World Jamboree in Holland. Involved in community theatre for 20 years as actor, director, playwright, stage manager etc. Born in England, came to Canada at 16, lived most of life north and east of Toronto with a five-year period in B.C.
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Last weekend, as our community was threatened by a mini-invasion of hate-spewing, vile-minded, fanatical, so-called Christians, I was decidedly disappointed.
I was disappointed in my fellow Uxbridge residents.
I went to Uxbridge Secondary School on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings just in case the people of Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas made good on their threat to travel here to picket the school over its production of the play, The Laramie Project.
On Thursday, the only people to show were those attending the performance. I saw a police cruiser pass by and then continue in the direction of Port Perry.
On Friday, there were perhaps 40 young people gathered opposite the school, ready to protest against the protesters. Most of them were there because of the efforts of Melanie Redford, who was supported by her parents, Tom and Suzanne. CITY-TV and the National Post were among the few major news organizations on hand. Again, there was no sign of any police.
Nor were there any signs, however, of support for our high school students from Uxbridge’s churches, Uxbridge Council, our service clubs, parents or the student body at large.
On Saturday, once again, the only people who came to the school were those attending the play.
I was also disappointed in last week’s Cosmos editorial, which suggested the best way to deal with the Kansas fanatics was to ignore them. In other words, let them have free reign to harass, annoy, intimidate or distress those people who chose to go to the play. Would that the editor had talked to the distressed young mother who told me she was thinking of keeping her child home from Joseph Gould Public School on the days in question. She feared her child might be emotionally upset if the Kansans showed up with their hate-filled placards.
The fact that this scurrilous group did not show is beside the point. It should not have mattered what anyone’s thoughts are about homosexuality – the theme of the play. The point is a group of foreigners had threatened to harass our students and our residents and, to all intents and purposes, Uxbridge was quite willing to let them do so unchallenged.
It seems to me, the students involved in the production deserved better from their community.
Tell me, am I wrong?
