Unpredictable Response

A sign in front of Woodland Hills Baptist Church that read “The big easy is the modern day Sodom and Gomorrah” offended Penny Crotty, of Tyler, Texas, so she actually confronted the pastor himself. After all, Woodland Hills is just down the road. My Sep. 8 posting, “Predictable,” also angered Penny. She wrote, “I take GREAT offense that you would so carelessly “lump” together - “East Texas” and this message. That is just weak and it’s crap…………….. it’s exactly the sort of dogmatic beliefs that pastor Bennett spews!” My purpose wasn’t to take a shot at East Texas. What was predictable to me was that some out there would use this tragedy as a way to scold New Orleans in its darkest hour. At any rate, I can see her point so I thought I would set contribute to her mission of preventing unfair generalizations about an entire region: Tyler residents repond to the sign.

September 15th, 2005