Letters to the Editor
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Obviously...
[SARCASM] These fetuses are representative of the Baby Jesus in an early stage of His development!! Merry Christmas!!! [/SARCASM]
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Oh. My.
I just want everyone who reads Broadsheet to know that not all Kansans are total nutjobs.
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Why "shockingly"
Why are you shocked that some women canceled their memberships in protest? Because they live in Kansas? Yes, lawmakers and public officials in Kansas (my home state) have made some shockingly ignorant decisions in the past decade or two. But the population is not a monolith. More than a third of the state's voters cast their ballots for a candidate other than Bush in 2004. While that's not enough to convince the Electoral College to deny a maniac like Bush continued residence in the White House, it is also not an insignificant number.
Yes, I am blowing Traister's sarcastic "shockingly" comment out of proportion. But it's another example of arrogance and ignorance on behalf of a media (including Salon) that only staffs reporters/commentators on the coasts and writes off the entire interior of the country as a red-state wasteland. Liberal Kansans are at the moment outnumbered, but they are not alone (especially in liberal Lawrence, Kan., where this gym is located). They don't need condescension, they need help being heard.
I live in Southern California now (not even Orange County) and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see a similar tree somewhere around here. Shockingly.
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Sarcasm
Ms. Holler
I believe you may be misreading what the intent of the sarcasm was. I don't think it was meant that it was shocking because it was Kansas. I think it meant it was no surprise whatsoever that some people would cancel memberships because of this and that the gym owners should have forseen this. Maybe I'm the one reading it wrong, but that's how I took it. You do seem awfully defensive about Kansas. Maybe my reading of this needs to evolve more.
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Response to question about "shockingly"
I actually wrote "shockingly" sarcastically, as in: "of COURSE some people quit the gym. There were plastic fetuses hanging from a tree in the lobby!" I'm sorry if that didn't come across. I meant to cast no aspersions on Kansas or its population. Best,
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Relax...
We know Kansans aren't all total nutjobs, although I have a vision in my head of you all holed up in Lawrence behind a thirty-foot fence, fending off the zombie hordes...
I think a little guerilla decorating is in order. Wouldn't glistening miniature wire coat hangers twinkle nicely in the Christmas lights? I think so.
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This is MY GYM...
I hadn't been in for about three weeks after an illness and "opened" the online version of our local paper today to see this story. I am speechless. The most amazing thing is that the owner didn't think anyone would be offended or concerned by the display. I should cancel my membership in protest, of course, but the other gym in town recently got into trouble for supporting his employee who asked a gym member not to breastfeed her infant in the gym's daycare.
There's no winning. Perhaps this is a sign from a higher power that I should give up on gyms altogether and buy a treadmill?
Fending off the zombie hordes in Lawrence, KS
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THIS sort of thing is what's the matter with Kansas...
No surprise to hear this sort of nonsense... Anyone who doesn't think Kansas is a hotbed of rightwing wingnuttiness, read What's the Matter with Kansas? by Thomas Frank...
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Ah, Lawrence
I lived in Lawrence for 13 years, and it is quite liberal for a midwestern town - both because of the college and the thousands of old hippies who made their fortunes dealing pot there in the 60's/70's...they invested their profits in starting businesses now considered Lawrence mainstays - funky restaurants, eclectic clothing shops, etc.
It is a lovely little place with a charming, tree-lined downtown of early brick buildings and much artistic flair; with many graceful old homes and one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation. (KU) Of late, a lot of SUV-crazed conservatives have been turning it in to a bedroom community for irritating, obtuse Kansas City suburbanites - complete with the homogenized Border's and Starbucks arriving and killing local shops...a real shame.
Born and reared in ugly, climate-challenged Kansas, I have finally lost hope that it will ever be redeemed from the clutches of the nutjobs. Although the governor is a pro-choice democrat, the state now has a small but definite majority of hard right and center right conservatives -about 55% to the dems and libs 45%. Not encouraging.
The gym manager/owner was remarkably dense in allowing such a divisive display. I'm going to Lawrence for Christmas to be with my daughter - a little visit to see the Fetus Tree and ask impertinent questions seems to be in order.
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gah, unbelievable
If I were a member of that club:
I'd march right in and hang some big pro-choice decorations on the tree and tell the owner I expect businesses I patronize to allow both sides to be expressed, or--more appropriately--stay out of issues that have nothing to do wiht the business at hand. If she doesn't want to honor that, fine, no laws broken, I'll just go find a business that wants to do business with me.
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The sarcasm was directed at the gym owner.
I agree with lynx. I thought the "shocking" part was that the gym owner was too stupid to know that it would offend people.
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I've met the owners...
Well, if you'd met the owners of this gym (as I have) you won't be surprized. Not that they are rabid fundies (yes there are plenty of those in Kansas to go around) - they just never stuck me as all that concerned with what their customers think. My bet is that they've never given the whole pro-choice/pro-life issue much thought. Now maybe this is because my opinion about these ladies was formed when they would stop by for a beer at a bar in the same strip mall as their gym - people tend to forget that bartenders hear everything. Lawrence, KS (my hometown) is a very liberal town in a very "red" state. The liberals of Lawrence love a good uproar. While I'm in town for the holidays, I'll be sure & stop by to see if this tree is still there.