Pastor Charlotte Vaughan Coyle continues her benevolent 'crusade' against the scourge that is false hypocritical outrage afflicting the country. The President of her County Republicans published an op-ed in the Paris News that spoke more about the hate in his heart and desire to mislead than anything else.

The op-ed did not do to Charlotte Vaughan Coyle what it does to many Liberals and Progressives in this part of the country. She did not acquiesce to the fear-to-challenge, timidity, or the belief that sweeping bad behavior under the rug, silence, is ever justifiable.

Robert Black, Association of Lamar County Republicans' President



Mr. Robert Black, the President of the Association of Lamar County Republicans attempted to appropriate the tenets that Dr. Martin Luther King spoke about to justify his ideological attacks on the Left. "Dr. King was indeed a Godly man who sought to fight for the equality of all, a portrait of genuine patriotism and deliverer of hope to the hopeless," Robert wrote. "It is men like him who we once again seek to stand united with to fight against the evil before us." He then attempts to rewrite present day history. "Today many of the battles Dr. King gave his life fighting for have been reborn as we witness more and more violence, discrimination, and hate across this country," he added. "However, the major battle today isn’t between white and black, Republican and Democrat, or rich and poor. No, the battle today is a camouflaged attempt by the devil to destroy all people of all different appearances, backgrounds, and beliefs. "

Mr. Black builds the thesis of his op-ed on the above lie. The idea that the Right is not using racism, homophobia, sexism, with large doses of xenophobia and nativism to cause Americans to take their eyes off of the ball is at best misleading bordering on willful ignorance. We understand the smoke and mirrors strategy used to prevent Americans from seeing and understanding the culprits responsible for their economic pilfer.

Pastor Charlotte Vaughan Coyle

Pastor Vaughan Coyle would have none of it. She is a woman of the cloth who understands that she must speak up whenever she sees injustices of any type. What Mr. Black did is especially corrosive because of the effect of leaving subliminal messages that have a latent effect ready to be triggered. Anyone who wants to see the results of these messages need just attend a Trump rally where the President becomes the igniter of those subliminal messages inculcated deep within the minds of the persuadable. Pastor Coyle's Open Letter was civil even as it necessarily landed jab after jab.

Mr. Black’s screed against “the left” is classic fear mongering. Those of us who lean left are not enemies; we are your neighbors. We sing in choirs with you and pray together in church. We deliver Meals on Wheels with you and work together on local boards and committees. We pledge alliance to the flag with you and work together to make Paris beautiful.

She then calls out the rank and file Republicans.

There is deep irony in Mr. Black’s call to “incite unity” when his approach is so disrespectful and divisive. He is not asking for unity; he expects lockstep uniformity.

Are you okay with this? Do Lamar County Republicans really believe America can only be great when we all toe the same line and mouth the same political talking points? Surely you remember America’s rich history of diversity, collaboration and compromise.

It is unity WITHIN our diversity that makes America both great and good. And are you okay with the way Mr. Black imagines that the Republican Party = God’s will on earth? Surely you see the way this twisted belief damages your party and your reputation, but most of all this conflation does damage to the witness of faith . The Creator of All nations and peoples and languages is not the possession of the United States of America and especially not a prop for the Republican Party.

She goes on to invite Mr. Black for a cup of coffee in her op-ed. The best part of what Pastor Coyle did was to generate a healthy discussion at her blog under the open letter. She received a lengthy rather obnoxious response from a reader.

Better than her open letter proper, Charlotte dissected and made shredded meat out of the responder's slanted assertions. I won't print any of that dialogue here. Suffice it to say, if you want to see how one should engage the other side, first of all, to generate a dialogue and then to give the opportunity for understanding with the possibility of change, please read her blog and the corresponding discussion.

Charlotte Vaughan Coyle continues the work she is good at day after day. She uses her skills of dialogue and robust compassion in an attempt to incite change.