A while back I wrote a column refuting the distortion of the
Islamic faith in a letter which was printed in The Dispatch.
A while back I wrote a column refuting the distortion of the Islamic faith in a letter which was printed in The Dispatch. In my column, I said something like “most Muslim people are good people and have no hatred of America or Americans.”
The letter writer than wrote to me personally, and further restated his understanding of Islam, Mohammed, etc. … Let’s just say that I came to a different understanding of the Koran. However, this letter write questioned whether I should call most Muslim people “good.” He assumed that I was using “good” as a substitute for “righteous.” The thing is, I rarely use the word righteous. I don’t think I am qualified to be the purveyor of righteousness. Good I know. I enjoy a good cup of coffee, a good book and I am thankful to have such good neighbors. But righteous?
I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be tossing that word around casually. But today I am going to write about the city vs. the Forum Club, and the word righteous is tailor made for this fiasco.
I won’t rehash the particulars, but suffice to say that the Forum Club is a place where consenting adults go to have sex. If they admitted minors, I would be the first person demanding that they close the club in a New York minute and press charges against Ms. Deena Luce. But as an adult club, it is none of my business what they do. It is not a whorehouse. It is not a prostitution ring. It might be a business. It is certainly a private club. The Forum is one of many private clubs in Gilroy which are of no interest to me.
The Forum operated for years on the outskirts of Morgan Hill. It was under the radar of local law enforcement, because the people who frequented the club and operated the club were apparently not breaking any laws.
The patrons of the club were having sex within a few miles of local elementary schools, right near beautiful downtown Morgan Hill. What detrimental effect did the Forum Club have on the town of Morgan Hill that is causing the officials in Gilroy so much panic? Were there condoms lining the streets, or a spike in the number of AIDS cases in Morgan Hill, was there even an increase in accidents or speeding tickets that could be attributed to Forum patrons rushing to the club?
My guess is that there was no effect on the town of Morgan Hill. I think that the large majority of Morgan Hill residents didn’t know or care about the Forum Club.
Then the Forum club moved to the outskirts of Gilroy. The club is located several miles from town. There are no schools in this part of town. There is no chance that there would be children playing in the area during club hours. Unless you were going on a late night emergency flower run, nobody in Gilroy would have reason to be in the vicinity of the club. But that hasn’t deterred some of the good people of Gilroy from getting downright righteous.
I expected a moral outcry from Pastor Richard Garcia because that’s what pays his bills. I expected columnist Cynthia Walker to oppose the club, because at the Forum people are having sex in ways that Cynthia doesn’t. But I am perplexed by the response of the mayor of Gilroy.
How does the existence of a sex club in rural Gilroy have a negative impact on the City of Gilroy? Are any of your constituents directly impacted by the club if they don’t belong to the club? I don’t understand why anybody would put so much time and energy into a problem that is a direct result of countless hours spent making the club a front-page problem. While the people of Gilroy look to the mayor for leadership, they did not elect him to be a spiritual leader or sex therapist.
With all that faces Gilroy in the coming years, we need a mayor who is working on actual issues which affect the people of Gilroy. It’s high time for the good mayor to stop being so righteous.
Denise Baer Apuzzo has lived in Gilroy for 5 years. She is married and is a parent of three children who attend Gilroy public schools. You can reach her at: [email protected]. Her column is published each Thursday in The Dispatch.
