Nobody likes a bigot. The recent anti religious rantings of Pastor Terry Jones, on the anniversary of 9/11, attests to this. His words and threats were reviled by good people and faiths the world over.
But an anonymous bigot is a different breed of creature altogether.
Too cowardly to openly voice their diatribes, too wretched to sign a name to their hateful cant.
Sadly, the internet can often be abused by those who bare ill will. Victims for slander can be easily targeted by cowards.
With these thoughts in mind, and because of the ongoing vitriolic attacks, by bigots, towards a tourist hotel and many people resident in the small town of Tintagel in Cornwall, our media company is restating our support.
Our own Director of Publishing, Duncan Williams, who was himself brought up in the North Cornwall area, is said to be appalled by the lies and accusations that are set to 'damage Tintagel' irreparably if left unchallenged.
"What good is achieved for this town?" says our publisher. "Particularly during a period of recession, by badmouthing its largest hotel? What gain is there for the community?"
Hysterical internet postings, over many weeks now, have centred upon John Mappin, his Kazakhstan born wife, Irina, and a resident painter named Ted Stourton, who are each co-owners of Tintagel's famous Camelot Castle Hotel.
John says; "At Camelot Castle we have a business policy of trying to use local Tintagel traders and to buy locally wherever possible. We are all learning this week what it might mean to our village to lose an important business. Once the heart of a village dies it can be very hard to breath life back into it."
However, the roots of this controversy seem to centre around the Mappin's involvement in the mysterious Scientology 'religion'. Itself often accused of bullying tactics towards its own members.
Unrelenting web outbursts and a cruel hate campaign by email, attacking the owners of the clifftop resort, their friends, business associates, and even their foreign employees, have all been swamping the internet for weeks now. It is clearly having an adverse effect on business.
"Bigotry like this is totally unacceptable," insists Duncan Williams. His independent news company has even been accused, quite wrongly, of 'bribery by the American Church' in order to support their corner in print. "There is no prejudicial bias in any of our publications. It goes against everything I believe in."
Williams, whose grandfather was a local C of E vicar, goes on to say; "Cornwall has always been a place where all kinds of people are welcomed, from all walks of life, wherever they are from and whatever their faith may happen to be - and no matter how eccentric it might seem to others..."
It would be a sad day, indeed, if this were ever to change. A sad day for Tintagel. And a sad day for Cornwall.
"Standing up to bullies is never easy," laments John Mappin.
Standing up to an anonymous bully, perhaps harder still.
But, as anyone working in the media knows only too well; words that can be used to hurt can equally be used, with truth and time, to heal.
And all bullies and bigots must, and will, be brought to heel.
# # #
More information can be found at;
http://www.whyweprotest.net
http://www.camelotcastle.com
# # #
Independent News Ltd. - Established publisher of UK regional newspapers and magazines. Offering distribution and marketing opportunities in key locations throughout Great Britain.
__________________________
