Solomons Words Throws Fuel on the 'Library Movie' Fire
3 min readEditorial
Everyone in town is now talking about the movie ‘Out In The Silence’, that will be publicly screened tomorrow evening at the Coudersport public library.
The movie addresses Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender lifestyles and the difficulties that such people face in society.
Solomons Words For The Wise, a blog ran by Jim Jones of Roulette, which has been the topic of much controversy and which many say allows ‘anonymous character assassinations’, has exaggerated and perhaps even entirely manipulated the point of view expressed by those that oppose the showing of the movie at a public library. There is no doubt that such manipulative and inciteful headlines boost the number of hits the blog receives, but such news reporting is hardly objective.
I am publishing this article to clarify the facts surrounding the ‘protest’ against the showing of the movie at a public institution.
First, Solomons Words accused the Tea Party and several area churches of ‘attacking’ and ‘threatening’ the library. This is hardly fact. Both the Tea Party and the Free Methodist Church in Coudersport asked their constituents to peacefully, respectfully, and kindly in a ‘Christian-like manner’ call the library and voice their opposition.
At no time that we are aware of did any Church or Tea Party representatives advocate anything other than peaceful expressions of opinion, or any type of physical or threatening protests.
The article’s published on Solomon’s Words however lead one to believe that a full blown demostration is being orchestrated, and that those who oppose the movie are hateful, racist, and bigots. Once again this is not true.
Those that I spoke to said they do not hate homosexuals, bisexuals, and lesbians. They said they simply do not agree with their lifestyle, and do not wish to have such a belief pressed upon them via a public venue that their tax dollars paid for.
I spoke with Pastor Tremblay from the Free Methodist Church. Pastor Tremblay said they do not object to the film, they only object to the filmmakers using a publicly funded institution to promote a one-side political agenda. Pastor Tremblay believes that public tax dollars should not be used to promote a private film with a political agenda.
Pastor Tremblay also said that he and other Pastors will be screening the film in a private location, but that such a film should not be shown in coercion with political activists at a publicly paid for institution.
Leaders of the Tea Party say they do not hate anyone, or wish to cast anyone out, however they do oppose a public institution airing a private film based upon a one-sided political agenda.
George Brown from the Potter County Tea Party said, “The group supporting this event should pay for a private location as we are expected to do in promotion of our agendas. Churches would not be allowed to show a “Pro-Jesus” and “Gospel” message in the Library because of supposed “separation of church and state”. Yet we can be attacked for our beliefs at a public library we support with our tax money. This is wrong and cannot be tolerated.”
The library has not been ‘threatened’, as Solomons Words puts it. The Tea Party did say that if such a public institution continues to promote political agendas, then they should no longer be publicly funded.
Also distressing in this entire situation is that it seems you cannot take a middle ground stance on the topic. You must either be for, or against the showing of the movie and the issues that it is based upon.
Personally I am saddened that Solomons Words has taken such an approach to reporting on this story. The articles are misrepresentative and inciteful, and probably have done more to stir up controversy than the film or it’s opposition has.
“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone……” or complaint about how tax money is being spent. I’m sure there are plenty of books and movies that we all don’t really care about that are availalble in public libraries. (Now is a public library a socialist organization??) It’s our choice: to read them or NOT read them. to watch them or NOT watch them. But it’s not up to us to shove our preferences down someone else’s throat and tell them what they can read or watch. That’s very Big Brotherish. Jesus NEVER did that. He also paid his taxes and didn’t whine.
Thanks Carol.
I do think there is a difference between material that is contained within the library, and an actual screening of a movie at the library.
How do you feel about the church’s argument that they would not be allowed to publicly display a film that took an opposite stance?
By the way I love this, “Jesus NEVER did that. He also paid his taxes and didn’t whine.”
Excellent Carol! 🙂
Jim Jones does an excellent job with his Blog.
I do agree with Pastor Tremblay-in that this film should not be shown in our public library. Unless the library and it’s Board wish to open the door to anyone else with an alternate lifestyle, they should stop this immediately.
This is still Potter County, not a large metropolitan community-maybe the librarian needs enlightened!
I have known Jim Jones for several years and personally have the utmost respect for him.
However, I was quite shocked to see how he portrayed the controversy surround this movie, and felt compelled to shed some light on it.
I truly believe the last thing this ‘situation’ needs is more ‘fuel thrown on the fire’, and for whatever reason I believe that Jim has done that with his series of articles covering this debate.
Thanks Ken!
I may have missed it over on Solomon’s Words blog but I didn’t see the source for the posting about the film. I Googled the title of the blog post and found that the article was copied from the blog of the producer of the film. http://outinthesilence.blogspot.com/2010/07/clergy-threaten-public-library-promise.html
I wondered if it was a real news story when I first read it since it didn’t quote any real people other than the one wrote the article. For example the article doesn’t name the library staff member who reported they had “calls all morning from clergy “screaming at us””. I seriously doubted that statement.
It seems like a better approach would have been to actually interview the library staff and publish what really occurred rather than rely on an obviously biased blog posting by the producers of the film.
my 2 cents…
Nathan, thank you for your insight.
I was not aware that Solomons Words had copied that article from somewhere else, as there was no source quoted.
Good investigative work Nathan!
@ Nathan
I took a look at the original article that Solomons Words copied and posted.
Interestingly enough, the original article was actually based on the original story about the Tea Party protesting the movie here on CoudyNews.com.
More interesting is the fact that the original article quoted CoudyNews.com and linked to CoudyNews.com.
Solomons however took the link to CoudyNews.com out of the original article.
From my perspective it is quite… ironic?
Solomons Words steals a blog article based on a story here at CoudyNews.com and then quotes it as a news release.
*scratches head
Our tax money is being used to do so much that is evil. But if we are given a chance to speak out against what is is being used for, then we should, that is our right. After all “most” of us work hard for our families.
ps… I have a feeling Jim Jones does not agree with the Tea Party.
I don’t think there is any other issue in our society at the current time that can raise a controversy like the issue of homosexuality. It is unfortunate that a “news website” would post two obviously inflammatory “news release” as being real news articles. I don’t know the intent of Solomon’s Word in posting the two “press releases” from the producers of the film but it does appear they were posted to create the controversy. In the end many many anonymous individuals have posted their thoughts – which in all likely-hood they never would say if they had to identify themselves. Check the CNN or Fox News websites and you’ll see that they are just as guilty at times of using some inflammatory headline to grab attention.
The vitriolic statements by folks on both sides of the issue makes it virtually impossible to have a reasoned discussion with either parties.
Didn’t the tea party meet on the courthouse lawn??? That’s private property that they paid to use? At least be brave enough to just come out and say you hate gay people.
I don’t go to solmons anymore his stuff is so biased