DCP Laughs in the Face of Tragedy

[_Mister Scratch]

The responses he describes are what any normal neighbors would do, no?

We were roused in the middle of the night about eight or nine months ago because the apartment building next door had a roof fire. The fire department had us standing in the street in our barefeet and night clothes clutching children and pets for two hours and wondering if our computers and books would be destroyed (ok, here I'm projecting my fears as those of everyone in my building, but you get the idea). Before it was even clear whether or not there would be damage to either building, people I didn't know were handing out flip flops and slippers, bringing their cell phones over for us "refugees" to use, and assuring everyone that we all had a place to sleep and anything we needed.

Its good everyone was helping out in the Utah situation, and those involved should be proud of helping of their fellow man. But when mention occurs about "inactive" and non-LDS also living in the building, then the whole thing tips to the side of inappropriate Mormon braggadocio.

Precisely. I, for one, am glad that the people received help. Heck, I'm even kind of glad that DCP's ward got a mention in the local news. The whole event could have been mentioned in a straightforward, reporterly way---just like your account of this fire, Blixa. Instead, what we got was a glad-handing, self-aggrandizing bit of tripe. It *was* boastful, or, as you put it, "braggadocio."

[_Mister Scratch]

Update: It seems that The Good Professor has now swooped in to clean up the embarrassing mess he made:

I'm with you. I was actually expecting some fluffy news coverage of a lovely service project or some such.

You have my apologies.

It was a difficult day. Obviously -- I thought it would have been obvious, anyway, at least to those who don't habitually regard me as a monster and a sociopath -- I didn't really find much amusement in the fact that roughly 25% of my ward were homeless last night and that several people lost clothes, books, computers, CDs, passports, journals, photographs, musical instruments, and lots and lots of other possessions.

Under such circumstances, with the fire already long out by the time I posted regarding it, and with arrangements already made for food and lodging and bedding for all those displaced, the exclamation point in the title of my thread was a bit of cheeky irony, an attempt (properly interpreted by most, I expect) to chuckle with relief at something that had been very bad but that could easily have been much, much worse.

I like to think that most of my ward members know that I care about them. But perhaps they've been deceived. In fact, the more one thinks about it the more likely it is that people who've never met me, who might not even recognize me if they passed me on the street, are in a much better position to know me in this respect.

The exclamation point of the thread title is, however, not the only indication of my heartlessness. I hope nobody failed to notice that I asked ward members sing "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning." And here's an incriminating detail that hasn't been previously revealed: Mercifully, only one ward member was taken to the hospital, for smoke inhalation. She was out an hour or two later, and I've joked with her about learning, from this experience, the perils of skipping church. Does this not reveal me in all my callous fanaticism? Now, the fact that she is a faithful member who had actually been home sick, that I know her very well, and that she laughed, will probably not prevent a few insightful souls from concluding that my comment to her really expresses my theological position, and that I meant it seriously rather than as a way of cheering her up after a tough experience.

It's a shame about the fire - hopefully everyone will be okay. It would stink to lose all your stuff (and I don't suspect there is an abundance of renters insurance policies - I never had one myself in college).

Well, thanks to my internet critics (I've just been told about a thread on another board, focused on what a cruel, sick-humored, and hyperzealous Mopologetic cad I've once again proven to be in this instance), I'm sure the kids will be just fine. (What if they had been left only to my tender mercies?)

Of course, he's missing the whole entire point. No one here has criticized him for being "cruel, sick-humored," etc. Rather, the criticism here has been aimed at two things:
1) That he seemed to want to blame the fire on non-Mormons and "inactives, and
2) He seemed to want to use the whole event as a PR opportunity for the Church.

This *is* a function of how he wrote his OP, as The Wrong-Headed Wench clearly recognizes:

It takes a lot to surprise me after so long on this board...but this one is right at the top. I am disgusted that anyone would take the time to find fault in such a situation...and then feel the need to snipe because something wasn't worded to their satsifaction. I hope I never find myself around such people in a tragedy....and it is fortunate these students weren't.

Right, okay.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Oh geez, he is nothing more than the bishop of the College Terrace Apartment ward?

I thought he was a real bishop over a real ward.... huh....

That apartment complex was known as the party place 1988-199?

When they first opened it in 1987-88 they were so desperate for tenants, they allowed smoking and drinking.


by the way, here is the story: http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/260761/17/

Edit to add: The fire was started by an unattended candle. Welll well we all know that Mormons do not burn candles! Damn Catholics!

Errrr wait... it was probably one of the stupid scent candles the momon women just cannot get enough of...

[_harmony]

Why is a BYU professor the bishop over a UVSC ward?

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Why is a BYU professor the bishop over a UVSC ward?

Well it IS a University now!

UVU!

But again, this is not only a non BYU ward, but one of the most transient as well as least active for most of the UV/U/SC/CC wards.

I find humor in how many on yonder board look up to him even more ever since he was called to be a bishop... and look! He is bishop over one of the crappiest student wards in Happy Valley!

[_moksha]

Sounds like Bishop Peterson and his Ward were on top of things making sure those displaced by the fire were taken in and cared for. That is the important thing.

Boaz & Lidia: Oh geez, he is nothing more than the bishop of the College Terrace Apartment ward? I thought he was a real bishop over a real ward.... huh....
That apartment complex was known as the party place 1988-199?
When they first opened it in 1987-88 they were so desperate for tenants, they allowed smoking and drinking.

Attacking his Ward members for not meeting whose standards?

[_Jason Bourne]

Wow Scratch

Another fine spin job and smear of trying to make someone look bad when nothing untoward seems intended. It amazes me what you find when there is really nothing there at all.

[_The Nehor]

Wow Scratch

Another fine spin job and smear of trying to make someone look bad when nothing untoward seems intended. It amazes me what you find when there is really nothing there at all.

As far as I know Scratch at least DCP doesn't spend his time examining other people's sex lives. Glass houses and all that.

[_Rollo Tomasi]

Boy, the aptly named MADboard has really been a-hummin' with interesting threads as of late. Some folks may have noticed the rather sensationally titled, "See My Ward on Television!" With the exclamation mark punctuating this, what are you led to believe? Do you think this will be some silly, fun kind of local color piece? Do you think that DCP is boasting about some media coverage he's just received?

I guess it's just his way of dealing with tragedy, but I can't help but wonder if he would have used the same title if his possessions had burned up in the fire.

[Guest]

Ahm, I don't really believe Mr. Peterson's take on the issue is all that bad. Sure he comes off as a little silly, but over all I think he's proud of how people pulled together. I'm a little put off by his accusation, but that's just social ineptitude. However, Mr. Scratch's relentless nitpicking is revealing. I'm not sure why he has such a beef with Mr. Peterson, but it makes him look a little worse than the person he's targeting for ridicule in this case.