There is hope that the person, most likely a man, who chopped down the Little Free Library in front of Heritage Florist on South White Street may be identified and charged. On Monday, WRAL-TV broadcast surveillance camera pictures of him walking toward the shop from his red pickup truck. The Wake Forest Police Department is also using the pictures in their public plea for help with an identification.
That hate crime was directed at the owners of the new florist shop, Chris Batts and Christian Fessler, after they agreed that a Wake Forest Girl Scout Troop could erect a Little Free Library in front of the shop. The library’s theme was LGBTQ+ with a small painted transgender pride flag and had books about gay, transexual, lesbian and other people. After a mother of one of the Scouts talked about the library on Facebook, there was an outpouring of threats and vile messages.
Whether or not the library assailant is identified or charged, the residents of Wake Forest and its government need to address the outpouring of hate messages and the physical attack on a little box on a pole.
There are several victims here. One is the young couple trying to start a business. The second are all the Girl Scouts who obviously believed that gay and straight, transsexual and conventional people can live together in a town in harmony. Those dreams were chopped up like the post.
Then there are the unseen, unremarked victims, the people of Wake Forest, and we are both victims and co-conspirators if we try to brush this off and pretend it just affected “those folks.” It will be a stain we bear.
Finally there are the recognized or unrecognized town residents — young, old, students in our schools and people we meet every day — who are gay, lesbian, transsexual or silent — who obviously are afraid of further violence against them.
Back around 1986 or 87, a Nazi group decided it had to parade in Wake Forest. There was no way to prevent them from doing so, but the invisible gossip center was busy and collectively decided that the only response would be no response. The small group of fascists, only one in a uniform if I remember correctly, marched down South White Street on a Thursday from the Underpass to Elm Avenue to silence, closed store doors and one or two onlookers who did not get the word. The Nazis never returned.
Last year the Wake Forest Town Board was asked to join other Wake County towns in signing a pledge of nondiscrimination in town, including community groups, activities, and businesses. It was dismissed with the comment that the downtown merchants might not like it. Oh, have they been discriminating on the sly? And how about all the gay, transgender and other adults, children and teens who are surely here? Do they not matter?
Not joining that pledge could have encouraged the man or woman with an axe. Town residents, including store owners, acted against hate 30-some years ago. We need to do the same today.
I am asking the mayor and Wake Forest commissioners (present and just elected) to join in resurrecting that pledge, signing it, widely publicizing its message, and enacting all the anti-discrimination ordinances it calls for.
I call on local groups to erect a duplicate of the Little Library and encourage each downtown merchant to prominently display pictures of the library. I hope that love for our fellow townspeople and people around the globe be the theme local pastors use in their sermons. Let us show our goodness and push back against hate.
Most of all, I hope that the actions of the town, from government to each resident, restore faith in the basic goodness of most people in all those Girl Scouts, their leaders and their families. We have to believe in Tiny Tim.
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21 Responses
This is a wonderful piece, one correction, the little library was stocked with children’s books like “I love my mommy because” and one cookbook. There were no books related to LGBTQ+ or otherwise, the library was generic and for all to enjoy. The destruction of the library is still a crime regardless and worse, it’s a hate crime. We have no room in this world for hatred.
What a refreshing editorial! While some of the responses show how far Wake Forest has to go, I didn’t know about the involvement of the Girl Scouts, and it gives me some hope to see that the children of our community understand the importance of inclusive gestures like this Little Free Library.
I love that this story is espoused as if we’re all supposed to be outraged that someone decided to do something about this. Most people are getting really sick of having maladaptive, pathological sexual practices normalized to our children. This isn’t about making people feel good, it’s about destroying our people.
Perhaps the man who did this understood something (perhaps even subconsciously) that isn’t being acknowledged here: promotion to children of materials that seek to normalize deviant, non-reproductive lifestyles is deeply antisocial, that is, it’s an attack on the foundation of society. This isn’t even a religious issue (or doesn’t need to be). A healthy society is one that promotes family formation and production of the next generation. Part of doing that is requiring that gays keep their behavior out of the public square and forbidding actions that run counter to normal sexuality (like promotion of pro-queer books and TV/movies/games, or the encouraging of children to question their sexual orientation or gender). This is not about hate, it’s about love of one’s people and the actions that must be taken to ensure a healthy society for them.
There should be not tolerance/acceptance towards the promotion of sexual abuse of our children. The police should of taken it down before a citizen took matters into his own hands.
Who said anything about sexual abuse of children? No one because this is not about that. This is about the rights of free speech — in the form of a library box outside a store. This is about Girl Scouts who understand that everyone’s rights should be protected. This is about their understanding that people come in all shapes and colors and different sexes too. Gay, lesbian and other people with different sexual orientations have long — too long — had to hide that part of their personality and now are reclaiming their full rights as people in America. The Girl Scouts involved only built the library; they may never have seen or met the store owners.
The majority of people don’t believe this and aren’t interested in having maladaptive sexual pathologies normalized to their children. Only a small minority of you are upset about this heroic act of defiance against the encroachment of perversion on our communities.
Free speech should be expressing political beliefs. Not distributing hypersexual propaganda to children. There is no such thing as gay or lesbian people, only sexual degenerates who at some point were a victim of sexual abuse themselves. Exposing young innocent minds to this material is sexual abuse. The people who propagate this should be charged and jailed.
They reproduce through abuse.
Not all heroes wear capes. Some drive red pickups apparently.
But the haters make comments like this.
Carol
It’s hateful to push an identity that only exists thanks to sexual abuse on children. Being a genetic dead end is actually a tragedy.
I don’t support illegally destroying other people’s property. But what I am far more concerned about the event that prompted it – homosexuals promoting LGBTQ propaganda to girl scouts. But it’s about a lot more than those two men specifically. We have a culture that increasingly denies the reality of how God made us – men and women in His image, and the institution of marriage – one man and one woman, picturing the great heavenly union of Christ and the church. Vast destruction comes when perversion is pushed in to the Girl Scouts, in our schools, by our media, and worst of all, in some of our churches. God grant us repentance.
Obviously your religion does not admit that anyone else may feel differently. Why doesn’t your religion teach you about understanding and acceptance of others.
Carol
Girl Scouts and transgender pride? Groomers always find a way to be around the children.
Has anyone looked at the suicide rates of transgendered people?
Any person who either performs or encourages a child to undergo genital mutilation surgery under the pretext of “gender affirming care” should be removed from society. Children are incapable of consenting to these life destroying procedures. Identify the groomers!
See my reply to others who are not capable, apparently, that other people can be different.
Carol
My children have the right to live in a world without sexual degenerates that seek to pervert them.
“Has anyone looked at the suicide rates of transgendered people?”
Are you kidding me? The answer to your question is linked to the very discrimination and hate that this incident exemplifies. How awful that people are condoning and celebrating the illegal destruction of a piece of property that acknowledges their existence as members of our community.
Also no one ever mentioned “groomers” in the article or in the incident, only vandals and thieves. I hope you don’t treat others in person with the same prejudice that you write online comments.
It was also a very sad day when those planning the Annual Christmas Parade for Wake Forest decided to cancel the Christmas Parade because they discriminated against the Sons of the Confederacy for FEAR of some violence that may happen. Of similar to this situation, instead of dealing with protecting the rights of Individual or Groups, the Town backed off and we now are one of the few Communities left without a Parade. If you want to protect the Rights and Privileges of one group, protect the Rights and Privileges of all groups!!
AND BRING BACK THE CHRISTMAS PARADE!
What a sad day for Wake Forest. Whether you agree or disagree with something never gives you a right to destroy property. And it was a project built by children who worked together to foster community! The children are more mature than this oaf of a man who gave in to vandalism.
That disgusting behavior sets a precedent for more danger and crime in our community. If someone has a wooden cross in their yard, it would be equally appalling (and illegal) for someone to come by with an ax at night and chop it down. I hope he is caught and punished.
Sign a pledge of nondiscrimination? 100%
All day, every day. What is going on with the mayor and the commissioners? They have missed an opportunity to demonstrate the goodness of Wake Forest. Stop sitting in the shadows and stick your neck out for what’s right. Take this pledge. It is never too late to be a good human.
Hear, hear! Well said. Thank you for this editorial.