In Defense of John La Tour

In Defense of John La Tour

The View from the Middle

Abraham Lincoln, one of my favorite Presidents, once said, “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.”  Tucked inside this witticism are two fundamental truths.  First, we have all done things that we regret, things that are wrong.  Second, we can all distort the reality of a person’s character if we focus only on the bad, and even exaggerate it, while ignoring the positive.  And that’s what’s happening in Fayetteville with John La Tour.

I think it is important for the people of Fayetteville to hear about John Latour from someone who has known John for more than the 15 minutes he recently spent in Arsaga’s.  Some people, like Garvin Smith, have written lengthy, bordering on libelous, pieces about John without really knowing him.  Mr. Smith, I have talked to the barista in question and I have concluded that if you had any decency you will write a retraction immediately.

I have known John for 25 years, and one of the first things you’ll notice about John is that he is different.  You would think, however, that this is something that the LGBT community would not only accept, but embrace.  It’s actually one of the first things that attracted me to John. 

John is a conservative.  I hope that’s OK in Fayetteville these days.  Actually, in his conservatism he is a liberal’s dream come true.  If the world, or at least Fayetteville, were full of John La Tours, there would be no need for the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance.  John doesn’t and wouldn’t discriminate against anyone for any reason.  He wants civil rights for everyone and special rights for no one.  You can disagree with that, but don’t misrepresent it.

John is a self made man and an extremely intelligent businessperson.  He owes his success to no man and to nothing but his own hard work and his willingness to take risks (and he would add – to the grace of God).  The City Council could actually learn something from John if they weren’t so busy trying to assassinate his character at every turn simply because he has a different point of view. 

I’ve heard the council complain that he is always the “no” vote, but let me ask them a question.  Has John ever voted against his already stated principles?  One man’s obstruction is another man’s consistency, you know.  To the rest of the City Council members I would ask, “Have you always voted consistently with your values?”  I hope the answer to that question is “yes”, and I’m sure you’re proud to say that you did.  Shouldn’t you be just as proud of John?

I have considered John La Tour to be a friend for 25 years and I’m glad for it.  As a friend, I have found John to be kind, staunchly supportive and uncommonly generous.  He’s not just a friend but a model of friendship, just as he is a model citizen. 

John is not just a population statistic for Fayetteville; he is an active citizen who is a leader in his church and community.  On the morning in question he wasn’t just “meeting with acquaintances”, he was leading an accountability group.  He’s not just a member of his church, he is a servant leader, and he is the same for the city of Fayetteville. 

John didn’t need to run for City Council.  In fact, he feared that he would be persecuted for his beliefs, and sadly those fears have been recognized.  John just wants Fayetteville to be the best city it can be.  But unless Fayetteville wants to become the ideologically unbalanced and extreme government that our founders suggested leads to despotism (think Hunger Games), they need more John La  Tours on their council, not less.

Finally, the hypocrisy in this situation is palpable.  People have accused John of being a bully, yet what they have done to him in the paper and on social media is the very definition of bullying.  The truth has been twisted and even disregarded, and if you’ve ever heard the term “piling on”, this will be the new case study.

Those 15 minutes at Arsaga’s were probably not John’s finest quarter hour.  He could have been more insistent that they turn the music down.  He could have expressed himself better.  He could have just left and gone to a different restaurant (although that suggests that the gay couple in Oregon should have found another bakery).  Whatever the case, I think it’s time that we all put this situation into perspective.  If you are a friend of John Latour, give him a call.  He could use a verbal hug today.