Longtime Wasilla Bible Church Pastor Larry Kroon is set to lead this morning’s Sunday service on the one year anniversary of his congregation’s return after a 1.5 million dollar arsonist’s fire nearly demolished their beloved church right before their 2008 Christmas celebrations. Yet he stressed this past Wednesday that, “By God’s grace, we’ve bounced back.” He said things are going well for the 1,000 worshippers, one of which on occasion includes Sarah Palin.

The former governor of Alaska told Fox News’ “On the Record,” that she wished for transformation of the horrible evil of the Christian church fire into an act of good that would help others. The forgiving nature of Palin and the church’s pastor cries out for honor from a most dismissive mainstream media, a media that seemed satisfied to report this horrible event merely once if at all.

Part of being Christian?

Pastor Kroon seemed to accept such attacks on Christian churches as being part of today’s public arena. His 31 years of ministry are testimony to the love and forgiveness he now extends. The church’s mission statement enjoins people to enjoy God’s grace to the fullest measure. The welcome of the congregation’s rich diversity tells worshippers to “wear whatever you feel comfortable in. . people wear everything from business casual to jeans to carharts.”

Deafening silence from the media

Certainly a congregation that is accepting of music styles from traditional hymns to bluegrass to original compositions does not engender the vitriol an arsonist would need to pour a fire accelerant near where innocent women were creating family scrapbooks. Yet, the mainstream media in the lower 48 essentially have settled on a one time mention of the fire 13 months ago, and in typically politically correct fashion, ignored horrible details deliberately targeting a Christian community.

A basic agenda driven lack of curiosity

Being a 50′s journalism school type, I am hard pressed to understand reporters who seem satisfied with yes, telling the public of a fire, yet no, not telling of the heinous details surrounding this horror. Can you imagine such reporters ignoring this fire had the name of the church been Trinity United Church of Christ and the pastor’s name having been Reverend Jeremiah Wright?

Perhaps, the insidious danger of political correctness is at the heart of the malaise in which we now find our once well informed democracy. Thomas Jefferson told of the importance of newspapers to the body politic because an informed citizenry is the very fabric on which a functioning democracy depends. But in analyzing the press coverage of this church fire in Alaska, my 50′s news reporting rules seem now to be anachronisms. How could this same duplicitous media select out coverage of every detail of the Palin family’s activities and of the virulent ankle biting by operatives seeking to play gotcha ya with any ethics violations that could be lurking in the governor’s mansion halls, yet remain silent when a certain Christian Church was attacked with such evil?

What did you do to defend American freedoms yesterday? What will you do today and what do you plan to do tomorrow?

Suzanne Eovaldi is a retire reporter and Journalism school professor now living in Port St. Lucie Florida.

Yesterday’s Rasmussen Presidential Index had Obama at-17

This day in history January 30

1956 Martin Luther King’s home is bombed in retaliation for the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Have you read this week’s “Betcha didn’t know this..” page? It’s loaded with interesting little “bite size” items you’re bound to enjoy.

Comments on this or any other Collins Report essay can be sent to kcoachc “at” gmail.com

The smoke blackened Christmas wreath that hung near the fire torched front door of Sarah Palin’s church 13 months ago is long gone, but her sincere apology for any unnecessary attention she may have drawn to the Wasilla Bible Church remains characteristically translucent. Palin told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren she learned her church was burning by a friend’s visit at 1:30 a.m. on December 13, 2008. Yet Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright still insists, “It had nothing to do with Sarah Palin.” He discounts connection to a “homosexual healing conference” the church co-sponsored, but he admitted a state arson investigation has hit only dead end and is not working on any other leads. The heinous fire crime at the Christian Bible Church languishes in the cold case file.

Wasilla PD investigator Ruth Josten didn’t return several calls. Last January the Collins Report posted an exclusive interview with WBC elder Tom Ryan that exposed many horrible facts still being ignored. The Report’s editor, a retired NYPD officer determined early on this crime was much more than simple arson, but instead was a six count attempted murder 1, apparently committed by an outside hired assassin.

These facts are still being ignored: 1. wires for phones, fire alarms, and water systems were slashed from INSIDE the building, near the control room 2. fire accelerant was spread across each church exit to prohibit escape of the five women and one teen girl trapped inside. Another poignant detail Palin told Fox’s “On The Record,” was that the women were working on family scrapbook projects around 9:30 p.m. at the time the fire was torched on December 12, 2008.

Just how would some hotshot reporter from the lower 48 have felt if his wife or daughter had to flee for her life by running through fire?

How silent would the writer be this morning? Details of an indifferent mainstream media follow in Part II of this report.

What did you do to defend American freedoms yesterday? What will you do today and what do you plan to do tomorrow?

Suzanne Eovaldi is a retire Journalism school professor and reporter now living in Port St Lucie Florida.

Yesterday’s Rasmussen Presidential Index had Obama at -17

This day in history January 29

1834 – Democrat President Andrew Jackson orders first use of federal soldiers to suppress a labor dispute.

Have you read this week’s “Betcha didn’t know this..” page? It’s loaded with interesting little “bite size” items you’re bound to enjoy.

Comments on this or any other Collins Report essay can be sent to kcoachc “at” gmail.com