Separated By A Common Language

Amanda Morgan-Scott of the Owasso Reporter has another scoop. Someone across the pond in State 51 has been disrespecting the town/city of Owasso in Oklahoma (turn left at Tulsa). So let's get one thing straight here: everyone should feel proud of their homestead and should put up a solid defence (defense) as I do with mine. Perspective should also be kept and when humour (=humor for US visitors) does not come in your flavour (favor) one should have the ability to take as well as give out.

OK, (Okay not Oklahoma) puerile comments out of the way now. Let's look at what the article actually says,

• Rofkahr's indignation over Little Mommy doll sets off media and Internet frenzy

Gary will be on Oprah next week recommending books for children without hidden meanings (C.S. Lewis v J.K. Rowling - winner to play either L.Ron Hubbard or Kirk Cameron in the Super Bowl) and Leno on Thursday discussing how Sarah Palin's winks are really a sign that the Republicans have been bodysnatched by Islamic Jihadists and that when she says 'you betcha' she is actually quoting from the Koran. But first, a word from our sponsors...........

Anyhoo, Amanda gets us back on the rails at last:

• That's all it took to set off a wave of interest. Gary was interviewed by KJRH Channel 2 in Tulsa for that evening's news and he later did an on-the-air interview for a radio station in Lexington, Kent. Gary's story got spread much quicker than he expected, with more than 160,000 views of his story on www.owassoreporter.com. More than 1,000 comments were left on the Internet article from people in 45 states and four countries. It's no surprise that some of the comments were directed toward Gary and most were less than flattering. Other Web sites were created with either the Owasso Reporter online article copied and pasted directy onto the site or with the link to the story imbedded. Most of these sites also had comments either about the story or directed at Gary and Owasso.

So, increasing advertising revenue in these troubling times? I bet some sites were nasty though.

• One particularly nasty posting was on ericthefishking.blogspot.com, a personal Web site by someone who apparently found the story very interesting and thought he should tell his readers exactly what he thought of Gary, the Owasso Reporter and the town of Owasso. Here are some excerpts straight from his blog.
  

Fair's fair Mandy babe, after all I learnt to use CTRL+C+V a long time ago and the addiction cannot be cured. Still, I don't receive any coins for this ego trip so hey ho.

• "Gary Rofkahr from Owasso (The City Without Limits!) appears to be Witchfinder General here. He heard that there was a doll that said, 'Islam is the light' so what does ol' Gazza Boy do? He bought one! (He also bought Relax by Frankie as soon as he heard the prophet Mike Read tell us how evil it was). The local journal - the Owasso Reporter - is on to it. Jostling for space with other biggies like Restaurant closing not considered news by some and Motorists soon could find they will spending less time waiting for stop lights to change to green, it puts its top person on the job... Very Christian of you Gary. How about organising a Darwin and Dawkins book burning jamboree or Beatle CD crushing while you're vanquishing sin? The Owasso Reporter is taking no chances and bravely finds a fence to sit on...Please tell me this is just a bad dream - or a clever marketing ploy - that Owasso only exists if you go through a red light after selling your soul at the Crossroads?"

Sounds familiar. I wonder if they know who Mike Read is? For those US viewers he was a bit like Howard Stern but with a Cliff Richard fixation. He almost became Mayor of London, England as seen here: MIKE READ: MAYOR.

Gary, to be fair, is a bit taken aback at being more popular than Elvis.

• "I don't have any animosity toward people of the Islamic religion.

Well, this site stands shoulder to shoulder with Mr. Rofkahr's position there whilst tentatively hoping that it doesn't result in the last Anglo-American show of strength. What we do take issue with is the over-reaction and this maybe seeps out with his next sentence.

• This is not about religion. It's about a doll with a secret message imbedded in it that they're trying to sneak past us to indoctrinate our children and that's just wrong on so many levels."

Wrong on so many levels we agree. Islam is the Light or Aslan is the Lion?

Now people may mock this but people power can be important and a force for good. Who can forget those town councils in England, Europe that saved their flock from seeing the blasphemy of The Life of Brian? Just because they did not have a cinema is beside the point.

As with dead parrots and fruit bat licences (licenses) you really do need to stand up for your beliefs and put your foot down with a firm hand.

As Gary says,

• "With help from my friends and the Owasso Reporter, we achieved what we set out to do

Altogether now......................

What would you do if your doll's out of tune
Would you stand up in Wal-Mart and shout,
When you're in church and Islam's not the light,
Are you certain the audio's not right?

Or, you don't buy a little doll for your friends
'Cos when it cries it'll drive you round the bend,

So, could it be Owasso people
That this could put you on the map?

No, you'll set fire to little dolls on the heap
No, you'll all burn them like good little sheep
So, I must go and get down for some sleep.

Finally, Anon on the original post has this to say:

• I WISH YOU WOULD BRING YOUR DUM ASS TO OWASSO ERIC FISHER KING OR WHO EVER THE FUCK YOU ARE..OWASSO IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE AND THE OWASSO REPORTER IS THE BEST NEWS.GARY HAD EVERY RIGHT TO FEEL THE WAY HE DID ABOUT THE DOLL..MAY YOU ARE ONE OF THE SATAN PEOPLE WE HAVE IN THIS WORLD.YOU WILL BURN IN HELL.....WTG OWASSO,,,KEEP UP THE GODLY WORK WE DO,,,

Note how it starts off very reasonable and then slowly degenerates into what can only be described as mild criticism. To repeat my oft used anti-heckler barb, Anon, I liked your hymns and poems better. It's getting late here so please do not shout. You're keeping the baby from praying to Macca.

Finally, in deference to the home of Garth Crooks, I mean Garth Brooks, I leave the final word to one of Gary's friends or family member...or both:

• "I'm so happy to live in a town like Owasso that has a newspaper that will stand up for what's right and that isn't afraid to print a story that might cause them grief. There's just a bunch of great people in this town."

Amen.