'Making waves'

I am a member of The Wave in Whitefish and had been a faithful attendee of Bob Bouillon's 5:30 a.m. cycling class. By nature, I prefer to avoid conflict, but The Wave board's recent decision to ban Christian music has prompted me to make a public point and to "make waves," so to speak.

When my husband suggested 13 years ago that we move to Whitefish, I was a little apprehensive. Being of Asian descent, I was anxious about Montana's unfortunate reputation for harboring white supremacists and other hate groups.

Upon moving to the Flathead, however, my fears were immediately dispelled. Although my features are different from those of most of my friends and neighbors, nobody seemed to notice. I have always felt welcome in Whitefish, and I never personally experienced discrimination about being different until The Wave instated their ban on Christian music.

I am deeply troubled by The Wave's anti-religious music policy. Wave board president Dan Weinberg's recent comments in the Daily Inter Lake, that the music I prefer excludes people, were inaccurate and harmful. It made me feel like I was a bigot.

Weinberg stated that his board works very hard to only play music at The Wave that isn't offensive to anyone. I don't think that is possible. Somebody will always be offended.

I regularly attend exercise classes at The Wave and often hear offensive lyrics that demean women. Additionally, I see shows that I find offensive being aired on the TV monitors. Even though what I see and hear bothers me, I remind myself that we are a diverse community, and not everyone likes what I prefer.

It is shameful that Wave members who like Christian music are denied access to their board. I know many Wave members who are willing to serve on a committee to create an acceptable music policy.

Interestingly, The Peak, in Great Falls, allows a Christian cycling class. Because The Peak is capable of playing Christian music in their facility without offending their membership, it appears that The Wave board has a social agenda that is harming diversity efforts in our community.

I hope the board re-examines their ban on Christian music and allows diverse opinions to be heard. I urge them to meet with affected Wave members to hear our side of the issue. Ignoring our requests has caused a huge tide of discontent.

It would greatly enhance my quality of life if I could once again attend exercise classes at The Wave without feeling like a second class citizen.

Linda Coco

Whitefish