News

By MICHELLE BATES DEAKIN
March 3, 2013
UU World

The Rev. Audette Fulbright will not go quietly. In fact, she’s not planning to go at all, despite a suggestion by a Wyoming state representative that she leave the state.

Fulbright, who is minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne, wrote her state legislators to express concerns about bills that would allow armed guards in schools and expand hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) in the state. One state representative responded to her letter by telling her to “leave.”

“If you don’t like the political atmosphere of Wyoming, then by all means, leave,” wrote State Representative Hans Hunt. “We who have been here a very long time (I am proudly 4th generation) are quite proud of our independent heritage.”

The blunt, dismissive reply has ignited a flurry of response. Local newspapers and television stations quickly pounced on the story. The conservative news site The Blaze featured the dispute, as did Rachel Maddow’s liberal-leaning blog. Fulbright’s website and Facebook page buzzed with activity. And the exchange ignited debate as much about civility in public discourse as it did about guns in schools and fracking.

“I’d love to have garnered this much attention for something more meaningful than just being insulted,” said Fulbright. That being said, she said she is using it as an opportunity to model UU values and show “who we are and how we exist in the world.”

Fulbright moved to Wyoming in July 2012, accepting a call to become minister of the UU Church of Cheyenne. She saw part of her calling as engaging in public advocacy in a state where conservative policies often prevail and “where our liberal faith is desperately needed.”

In February she wrote to her state legislators, in part:

My husband and I moved to Wyoming not too long ago. We believed it was a good place to raise children. With the recent and reactive expansion of gun laws and the profoundly serious dangers of fracking, we find we are seriously reconsidering our decision, which is wrenching to all of us. However, the safety of our family must come first. We are waiting to see what the legislature does this session. I know of other new-to-Wyoming families in similar contemplation. Your choices matter. It would be sad to see an exodus of educated, childrearing age adults from Wyoming as a result of poor lawmaking.

Her letter would likely have attracted little, if any, attention had Rep. Hunt not issued his unwelcoming reply. Fulbright mentioned it on her Facebook page, which attracted the attention of another local minister, who wrote their Cheyenne newspaper about it. Then a TV station picked up the story, and it snowballed from there.

Hunt stuck to his dismissal of Fulbright. Interviewed in the Casper Star-Tribune, he said, “Was it blunt? Yes. Would I apologize? No.” He later added, “If I had to do it again, would I sit and think about how to phrase my words more carefully? Probably.”

Fulbright said that most of the responses she has gotten have been positive. The Star-Tribune ran an editorial called “Welcome to Wyoming,” castigating Hunt for his incivility. “Challenges such as Fulbright’s are meant to be answered, and answered respectfully and thoroughly,” the editorial said.

Neither of the bills Fulbright opposed passed the legislature.

Fulbright did receive negative comments, as others jumped on Hunt’s bandwagon encouraging her to leave. She has been careful to assure her parishioners that she has no intentions of doing that. After several ministerial transitions over the past six years, the congregation was settling down with a called minister. Fulbright wanted to reassure members that she was not leaving.

Fulbright was encouraged during the ministerial search process that the congregation was seeking a public liberal voice. “That was one of the reasons I came here,” she said. She helped the congregation oppose local raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting undocumented workers. Fulbright also spoke before the Wyoming legislature to support a civil unions bill, which narrowly failed.

She thinks the publicity her exchange with Hunt generated has brought new members into the UU Church of Cheyenne. She quickly gained 50 Facebook friends. And she has seen new faces in the pews. Her public stance has helped some community members learn about the church, she said. “Cheyenne isn’t large enough for this active congregation to go unnoticed,” Fulbright said. “And a new minister with a higher profile doesn’t go unnoticed.”

Fulbright notes that she has been careful not to take criticism generated by the exchange personally—particularly anonymous posts to websites, which can be full of vitriol. “Whenever you step into the public arena you have to be prepared and have a spiritual practice or support for not getting bogged down in the unfortunate side of these things,” she said.

She has aimed to hold her head high and be a model for civility. “That’s what we UUs are about,” Fulbright said. “We appreciate frank conversation, but it should be based in respect, love, and compassion.”

Engaging civilly in disagreements is an opportunity, she believes, whether they are outside the congregation or within it. For example, she knows that members of her congregation hold many different positions on gun ownership issues. “If we UUs don’t step into that place [of disagreement] and say ‘This is who we are and how we exist in the world,’ we’re really missing our calling.”

https://www.uuworld.org/articles/legislator-tells-minister-leave

By KYLE ROERINK
February 8, 2013
Casper Star-Tribune

CHEYENNE — A Newcastle state lawmaker is refusing to apologize after telling a Cheyenne minister that her and her family should leave the state if she doesn’t like Wyoming politics.

The electronic skirmish started Thursday after the Rev. Audette Fulbright sent emails to all legislators stating her opposition to House Bill 105, which would have allowed people with concealed carry permits to carry guns at schools, community colleges, the University of Wyoming and public sporting events.

“I am writing to express my grave concern about House Bill 105,” Fulbright wrote. “Ample evidence has shown that schools and guns do not mix, and in particular, guns in the hands of amateurs/non-professionals is extremely dangerous.”

The email led to a response by Rep. Hans Hunt. Hunt was in favor of House Bill 105. He told the Star-Triubne on Friday that he respects the concerns of the people against the bill, but said that many tragedies involving firearms happen in gun-free zones.

“I’ll be blunt. If you don’t like the political atmosphere of Wyoming, then by all means, leave. We, who have been here a very long time (I am proudly 4th generation) are quite proud of our independent heritage,” Hunt wrote to Fulbright.

Fulbright, who lives in Cheyenne, isn’t one of Hunt’s constituents. No other lawmakers responded except for Rep. Mary Throne, D-Cheyenne. Throne told Fulbright that the bill had moved to the Senate Education Committee and to contact committee members.

Fulbright and her family moved to Cheyenne from Virginia in July. They made the cross-country venture because the state had good schools and the landscapes remained intact. Fulbright gives her sermons at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne. In her email to lawmakers she said she was shocked at the Legislature’s stance on guns this session.

“Apparently I have to live here a certain amount of time before I have an opinion,” she said in an interview with the Star-Tribune on Friday.

House Bill 105 died in the Senate Education Committee on Friday morning. But guns weren’t the only topic on Fulbright’s mind. She also mentioned a fear of fracking in her email to lawmakers. Both issues had the minister questioning her move from the East Coast.

“With the recent and reactive expansion of gun laws and the profoundly serious dangers of fracking, we find we are seriously reconsidering our decision (to move), which is wrenching to all of us,” she wrote. “However, the safety of our family must come first. We are waiting to see what the Legislature does this session. I know of other new-to-Wyoming families in similar contemplation. Your choices matter. It would be sad to see an exodus of educated, childrearing age adults from Wyoming as a result of poor lawmaking.”

Hunt was unapologetic Friday and said he wouldn’t call his comments mean spirited.

“As to your comments on fracking, I would point out that you’re basing your statement on ‘dangers’ that have not been scientifically founded or proved as of yet,” he replied in the email. “It offends me to no end when liberal out-of-staters such as yourself move into Wyoming, trying to get away from where they came from, and then pompously demand that Wyoming conform to their way of thinking.”

Hunt, a second-term legislator, said Friday he rarely responds to emails in that manner and probably won’t respond that way the next time he is irked.

“Was it blunt? Yes. Would I apologize? No,” Hunt told the Star-Tribune.

It’s been an emotional session, said Rep. Rosie Berger, R-Sheridan. She has served 10 years in the state House and is the speaker pro tempore. More often than not, voters and lawmakers are conversing online instead of face-to-face, she said. Emails move at a rapid pace and in a large quantity, she added.

“If I had to do it again, would I sit and think about how to phrase my words more carefully? Probably,” Hunt said.

Hunt is a very considerate person, Berger said. “He probably wished he wouldn’t have responded,” she said.

Fulbright posted the correspondence on Facebook. There were nearly 200 posts in response to Hunt’s reply as of Friday afternoon, many of them saying Hunt’s terse response was an anomaly.

Fulbright said she isn’t going to let the unpleasant exchange ruin her new life in the Cowboy State.

“It’s not going to color my view of Wyoming or the Legislature,” she said. “Just Representative Hunt.”

Fulbright’s email
Dear Representative, I hope you are taking care of yourself during this busy session. I know it is a challenging, compressed time.
I am writing to express my grave concern about House Bill 105. Ample evidence has shown that schools and guns do not mix, and in particular, guns in the hands of amateurs/non-professionals is extremely dangerous, especially in any highly-charged situation. to expose our children to greater risk in their schools by encouraging more guns on campuses is something that we cannot allow. My husband and I moved to Wyoming not too long ago. We believed it was a good place to raise children. With the recent and reactive expansion of gun laws and the profoundly serious dangers of fracking, we find we are seriously reconsidering our decision, which is wrenching to all of us. However, the safety of our family must come first. We are waiting to see what the legislature does this session. I know of other new-to-Wyoming families in similar contemplation. Your choices matter. It would be sad to see an exodus of educated, childrearing age adults from Wyoming as a result of poor lawmaking.
sincerely,
Rev. Audette Fulbright

Hunt’s response
Rev. Fulbright,
I’ll be blunt. If you don’t like the political atmosphere of Wyoming, then by all means, leave. We, who have been here a very long time (I am proudly 4th generation) are quite proud of our independent heritage. I don’t expect a ‘mass exodus’ from our state just because we’re standing up for our rights. As to your comments on fracking, I would point out that you’re basing your statement on ‘dangers’ that have not been scientifically founded or proved as of yet. It offends me to no end when liberal out-of-staters such as yourself move into Wyoming, trying to get away from where they came from, and then pompously demand that Wyoming conform to their way of thinking. We are, and will continue to be, a state which stands a head above the rest in terms of economic security. Our ability to do that is, in large part, to our ‘live and let live’ mentality when it comes to allowing economic development, and limiting government oversight. So, to conclude, if you’re so worried about what our legislature is working on, then go back home.
Sincerely,
Hans Hunt
Representative Hans Hunt
House District 02