I also moved to Meade from California a few years ago and, like JR & Robin, saw a lovely little tree laden burg with safe streets, good schools, wonderful park, everything you need in walking distance and a great deal of potential.
In spite of the debacle over the flag, JR & Robin & I agreed that the potential still exists. 1. Main Street Meade is a busy artery between the upper Midwest (starts near Chicago) and the southwest so you can imagine the traffic flow. 2. You can still buy nice little homes starting at about $12,000, fancy ones for $100,000 and whole farms, too. 3. There are empty store fronts that would make wonderful art galleries and antique shops. 4. Because of the Knight's stand, sentiment is changing in town.
I don't mean to get on my soapbox, but I've always thought this would be the perfect place for a group of intelligent people with vision to create their own scenario for the future. I invite you to email me yellowflowerfan@yahoo.com.

I'm a Christian (meaning I live my life and seek happiness and fullfillment in my life by bringing Glory to God thru my relationship with Jesus Christ) but I am continually amazed at the reaction many Christians have toward anything they deem "gay" or whatever.

I don't know if this hotel owner is gay. I do know that Mead is the home to a pretty large Christian radio station and therefore I assume also a large fundamental Christian population.

I also know that my purpose as a Christian is to Bring Glory it God, and also to point others to God as the only possible source for their infinate happiness. I don't know how other Christians expect to do this, especially for the Gay community, when they are continually spewing hatefull and bigoted words and actions toward them. Will picketing and boycotting anything they deem "Gay" do anything to bring someone closer to the Lord? I think it will only serve to drive them away.

I don't support the Gay lifestyle, but I do understand that people desire to be loved, I understand that as a created being we are all made with an emptiness in our souls that can be filled with the love from another person, but only temporarily, I know that the only thing that can fill that emptiness eternally is God, and he provided to us access to his Glory thru his Son. It is sad that by responding in anger and hatred, we Christians only drive people farther away from God, and possibly further into a lifestyle that will not provide the infinate happiness that comes from seeking, following, and serving the one true God. This is not only the Gay lifestyle that won't bring satisfaction, but also the lifestyle of the bigoted "Christian" that is in direct conflict with the teachings of Christ. A bigoted "Christian" is guilty of the same sin that they are accusing the gay person of, and that sin is the attempt to find fullfillment from something other than the all satisfying God, and on top of that they are even more guilty because they are driving people away from God.

Mathew 23: 13-15 points this out well as Jesus addresses the religous leaders of his day (and ours):

"I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyone else in either."

"You're hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned."

As Christians we should "attack" the "problem" of homosexuality (or really any kind of permiscuous sex or any sin really) by showing the world a people of Love, a people with rich relationships within their marraiges and families, in their churches and communites, and showing people of selfless service, and a people not ashamed to bring Glory to God.

Showing hatred for stupid reasons (like if someone decides to fly a rainbow flag for instance...) only shows thier lack of faith, and thier lack of Love. If we truly want to be like Christ then we will model his example of love:

Romans 5:8
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

God would have been completely justified in responding to us with wrath (much like the Christian community responds to the Gay community), instead he responded with Christ, and Christ responed by showing us love, even unto his death on the Cross.

I pray that Christians would start to truly seek and live the way Christ taught as I believe it would make a great difference for good in our society.

I was born and raised in Meade. JR Knight has used this flag issue to cause attention to be diverted from his real agenda. One minister out of nine made the remark. I would suppose that this intolerance would be statistically representative of almost any community in the country. This minister is not representative of the whole community. I, and everyone I have talked with, do not care at all that Knights fly their flag, nor do we have any anti-homosexual feelings. I repeat---this is not the cause of the bad feelings toward Mr. Knight. For the Knights to talk about the departed school teachers, Madge and Ruth, as if they knew them, the Knights are way off track. These ladies were my friends and my great-aunt's friends. Mr. Knight has moved here and caused a lot of trouble through our city government. He is behind unlawful Open Meetings violations with some newly elected councilmen. I could go on and on. Believe me---most people have other reasons to dislike Mr. Knight---don't feel sorry for the man.