Sunday morning service at the Boardwalk Pavilion in OG. 9/2/2007. Paul Goldfinger photo
This is a look back to an Ocean Grove Record editorial written during the tumult of the Pavilion controversy.
By Paul Goldfinger, Ocean Grove, October 17, 2007
According to the 2000 census, the year-round population of Ocean Grove is 4,256. In recent years, there has been an increase in second home buyers, young families and retirees. Every season the town seems to be more popular, more diverse, more interesting and livelier than before. Although half the people in New Jersey would like to leave the state, most people that you talk to in Ocean Grove say that they love the town. Ocean Grove is unique, and people find it to be a neighborly place with an old fashioned personality.
So the current controversy over gay civil ceremonies at the Ocean Pavilion seems incongruous. Gays have lived comfortably here for years, and gaydemographics.com identifies Ocean Grove as the “gayest zip in New Jersey.” The Camp Meeting Association (CMA) has been here since the town’s founding in 1869 and has advocated a “love thy neighbor” policy. So what exactly has happened to suggest that the town is something other than the tolerant place it has been in the past?
It reminds me of the ancient story of the blind men and the elephant. The CMA is worried about freedom of religion, while the gays are concerned about discrimination and equality for all. As a result we have a law suit, blue flags around town, a complaint filed with the State of New Jersey, outside agitators ratcheting up the noise, and media reports that repeatedly get the facts wrong. Each blind man interprets things differently, and how can solutions be found when the blind men can’t agree on what the issues are?
And what about the biggest blind man in the group? What does the silent majority in Ocean Grove think? What about the thousands of people here who are neither gay nor members of the CMA? What do they “see” when they examine the giant elephant in town? Maybe they think that the dispute is just a difference between neighbors about a place on the boardwalk. Could it be as easy as that?
In the end, the judiciary will have to decide the truth about the elephant. In our society justice is supposed to be blind and, at the same time, to be able to see the truth. Can we count on wisdom from the court? Yes or no, but we perhaps can count on the wisdom of the people of Ocean Grove to do whatever is possible, no matter how this thing is resolved, to restore their town to its old fashioned senses.
Meanwhile, consider the last verse of the poem by American poet John Godfrey Saxe who, in the 19th century, wrote about the Blind Men and the Elephant: (from http://www.wordinfo.info)
“And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!”
Frank S – I’m with you! Didn’t get the point at all. Random thoughts minus any flow or logic.
Meerkat : ” and have a right to that as otherwise ” As otherwise what ? Please clarify what you meant to say in maybe a simpler way as I don’t understand what you wrote. Thanks.
I’m all for civil rights, absolutely, but I feel in this case its more than just discrimination or civil rights. The truth is that some people want things to change for themselves. I don’t believe this is in the best interest of OG. Let’s face it, no one bothers others who live here. Actually, people are generally friendly to each other as much as can be expected of any NJ town.
However, by denying a certain foundational reality, whether it belongs to you or not, is not progressive in my opinion. We should all be adults and recognize what is and what is not. Don’t over-complicate simple things. If its about being respected, then you have to respect in the first place. My opinion is that OG should be available to everyone, but how far can any argument go before it becomes simply about arguing and not proving something to be true or not true??? OG was founded by Methodists who are still the main influence and governing body and have a right to that as otherwise. If you truly wish to live in a community, then you should be prepared to integrate into that community which might entail a few compromises and not demand it change for you.