Dismayed by Wave dispute

Editor's note: The following letter was sent to The Wave's board of directors:

I would like to thank you for all the time and effort you have put into bringing The Wave to our community. It was our pleasure here at Don K Chevrolet to make our pledge of $15,000 to such a worthy project.

However, recent events have called into question our decision to contribute to this cause. We are dismayed and bewildered by the board's recommendation to ban Christian music from our community facility.

When we made the pledge, we made it with the idea that all members of our community would be included and welcomed to this facility. It seems a large group of residents of Whitefish are being excluded because of the voice of the minority.

How many people could possibly be offended by Christian music? What are they offended by? How many more people are offended by the other forms of music that are played at The Wave on a regular basis and say nothing?

Some music that is played at The Wave is offensive to women and degrading to other members of our community as well. They tolerate it in the name of diversity, but when they play Christian music that is uplifting to many, they are not tolerated? Any thinking person has to see the discrimination here.

It is with a heavy heart we are withdrawing our pledge to The Wave effective immediately until this act of discrimination is overturned. We would call on others in our community who see this as we do to urge the board to reverse its policy and allow the preferred music to many of our residents back in The Wave.

I ask you to understand we write this with no malice intended by to exercise our right of freedom of speech and to act on our conscience of fair play.

Don Kaltschmidt Jr. is a resident of Whitefish.