Mayor and Council
City of Nanaimo
Re: Committee of the Whole, May 5
Motion to cancel Leadercast event, May 9, VICC
Dear Mayor and council,
I am writing to express my profound disappointment and on behalf of concerned citizens who are left feeling confused and disenfranchised by council’s support of an alarming and unprecedented action that was based on innuendo and unsupported accusations.
The Leadercast event was broadcast to some 800 venues across North America including Victoria and Vancouver, SFU and UVIC. I note that the item was a late addition to the agenda, the proponents were not present to address council prior to the decision to cancel and a number of councillors seemed ill-prepared with background information to refute the mischaracterization presented by the mover. It seems to me that staff made it clear that the event was about Leadership. Councillor McKay, to his credit, pointed out that the event featuring such notables as Laura Bush and Rev. Desmond Tutu had nothing to do with the accusations of hatred, intolerance and divisiveness alleged by the proponent.
Notwithstanding Coun. Pattje’s empathy for the complainants, I am astounded that council would endorse a motion that is in itself divisive and doesn’t even make sense.
The motion instructs staff to advise VICC : “that any events that are associated with organizations or people that promote or have a history of divisiveness, homophobia or other expressions of hate…” and goes on to advise VICC to cancel the May 9th event.
The Leadercast event was sponsored by the Nanaimo Daily News and the Coastal Community Credit Union. I am asking council what moral authority, what evidence of hatred and malevolence by this alleged subversive movement it possesses that would trump the good judgment of our own community sponsors and the 800 other communities hosting similar events?
I have attached a brief review of the 2013 event by Michael Hyatt whose leadership commentaries have been featured in the NY Times, the Wall St Journal, Forbes, Business Week and CNN; not a word about hatred anywhere. Please check it out. As for the GBLT, Q umbrage at the sponsor of the main event, Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick-fil-A, who is accused of speaking in defence of traditional marriage, even the American Civil Liberties Union has stated though they disagree with his views they support his right to hold and express them.
I submit that since council has taken upon itself to take such unprecedented and apparently ill-considered action, it is now incumbent on council to address the potential precedent and confusion it has generated.
As I felt obliged to point out at the Central Vancouver Island Leadership Prayer Breakfast, the precedent established could call into question the very event that exists under the mayor’s patronage and sponsored by the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce; it could just as easily be applied to the April Good Friday community services held at another city-owned facility, Beban Park.
I do not believe it was council’s intent to disenfranchise tens of thousands of the good citizens of Nanaimo. I therefore urge you to act promptly: to address an apology specifically to the church community through the Nanaimo Evangelical Fellowship, to the sponsors who’s reputations and judgment were called into question, to citizens who had worked hard organizing the event and those who had to travel to Victoria to participate.
Furthermore, I encourage council to publically express regret for the unfortunate and apparently unforeseen consequences of an ill-considered action with assurances such will not be repeated without a thorough airing of the issue and convincing evidence of ill-intent.
Friends, no one bats a thousand; the Church and business leaders who have been insulted by this action are the most forgiving of citizens. I believe a sincere apology will help restore relations and the ability of mayor and council to overcome the backlash that is surely coming without corrective action.
Sincerely,
James Lunney, MP
Lunney's letter illustrates the unholy alliance between business and church that underlies this affair. If Leadercast is just an inspirational event for business people, how does the Nanaimo Evangelical Fellowship become involved, and why does Mr. Lunney feel compelled to rise to its defense on behalf of a small portion of Nanaimo's Christian community? At least some of our politicians understand that a dividing line must be drawn between belief and government, as City Council did.
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that in this day and age a group such as this council would be so violently prejudiced. Civilization seems not to have come so far after all.
ReplyDelete