Deified Data
Banned
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/indiana/garrett-mayor-apologizes-for-throwing-out-sikh-pamphlets
Since I don't have a subscription to this news site, but I do have a copy of today's paper handy, I will attempt to fill in the blanks without copying the entire article wholesale. All quatations are lifted directly from the article.
Basically it plays out like this: Mayor Hoeffel stops at this Quickway for a soda. As she begins to walk out, she spies a stack of Sihk literature on the counter. She then proceeds to pick up the entire stack and throw it in a trash can outside. Hoeffel stated that the reason she did this was because "it didn't interest me". The owner of the Quickway, Kulwinder Nagra, a Sikh who began displaying the pamphlets after the recent Sikh temple shooting, says he confronted Hoeffel outside and asked her why she threw away his literature. According to him, she replied "It's against my beliefs. It's against Christianity". This runs contrary to her official statement of "it didn't interest me".
She has since apologized, and described her actions as "unrighteous". "I reject discrimination for any reason". Nagra has apparently forgiven her, though many people in my town have not. I'm of the personal belief that, as mayor, you represent your public in both your public and private lives. She had the nerve to walk into this man's private business, as an elected official, and discard his property as though it were her right. It reflects poorly on my community, and I want to do something about it other than bitch and moan.
I believe the topic is worthy of discussion in it's own right, though it pales in comparison to most of the shit GAF sees. The difference for me is that it's personal - I've met both of these individuals, and I'm employed by a branch of city government. Mostly I just want to ask, is there any way I can expose this story to a larger audience? I want to see this woman punished for her thoughtless actions, beyond a mere slap on the wrist. As an elected official, you cannot do such things with impunity, and I don't feel a mere apology is enough for this obviously bigoted act. Do any of you have experience with submitting small-town news stories to larger news venues?
Thanks for the help. And yes, she's a Republican. This is her Facebook.
GARRETT, Ind. (WANE) The mayor of Garrett has apologized to a local business owner for an act that she herself called, "unrighteous." Our partners at KPC News reported the apology on Monday.
The manager and part-owner of Quickway in Garrett, Kulwinder Nagra, 38, said he put pamphlets about his Sikh religion on the counter of the store after the shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin .
“I just wanted to let people know who I am,” Nagra told KPC News. “After 9/11, there was a lot of misunderstanding. ”
Surveillance footage shows Hoeffel entering the store at about 12:55 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28. She bought a soft drink and walked away. She then returned to the counter, grabbed the small stack of pamphlets, took them outside and threw them into a trash bin.
Nagra said he went outside to ask the mayor why she took all four of the pamphlets that had been placed on the counter in front of the register.
“She said, ‘It’s against my beliefs,’” Nagra said. “She said, ‘This is against Christianity.’”
Hoeffel later said she disposed of the pamphlets because of a lack of personal interest, not as a statement about the religion.
Hoefell has since apologized, saying, "I just grabbed what was there. I just decided I didn't want it."
Hoefell and Garrett City Coucilman Brad Stump met with Nagra and his business partners on Monday to discuss the incident.
“I personally believe if you do something wrong, you go to that person,” Hoeffel told KPC news. “I apologized for offending them. I said I know they are a peaceful people.”
Nagra said the Sikh religion teaches forgiveness and the issue was resolved for him when Hoeffel apologized.
Since I don't have a subscription to this news site, but I do have a copy of today's paper handy, I will attempt to fill in the blanks without copying the entire article wholesale. All quatations are lifted directly from the article.
Basically it plays out like this: Mayor Hoeffel stops at this Quickway for a soda. As she begins to walk out, she spies a stack of Sihk literature on the counter. She then proceeds to pick up the entire stack and throw it in a trash can outside. Hoeffel stated that the reason she did this was because "it didn't interest me". The owner of the Quickway, Kulwinder Nagra, a Sikh who began displaying the pamphlets after the recent Sikh temple shooting, says he confronted Hoeffel outside and asked her why she threw away his literature. According to him, she replied "It's against my beliefs. It's against Christianity". This runs contrary to her official statement of "it didn't interest me".
She has since apologized, and described her actions as "unrighteous". "I reject discrimination for any reason". Nagra has apparently forgiven her, though many people in my town have not. I'm of the personal belief that, as mayor, you represent your public in both your public and private lives. She had the nerve to walk into this man's private business, as an elected official, and discard his property as though it were her right. It reflects poorly on my community, and I want to do something about it other than bitch and moan.
I believe the topic is worthy of discussion in it's own right, though it pales in comparison to most of the shit GAF sees. The difference for me is that it's personal - I've met both of these individuals, and I'm employed by a branch of city government. Mostly I just want to ask, is there any way I can expose this story to a larger audience? I want to see this woman punished for her thoughtless actions, beyond a mere slap on the wrist. As an elected official, you cannot do such things with impunity, and I don't feel a mere apology is enough for this obviously bigoted act. Do any of you have experience with submitting small-town news stories to larger news venues?
Thanks for the help. And yes, she's a Republican. This is her Facebook.