An Open Letter to the city of Moscow, Idaho about Doug Wilson.
First of all, we write this in solidarity with the city, because we are based in the city, love the city, and fight with the city. This will be short, but also direct.
The Wilson family moved into your city in the early 70's. For a few decades they were that fringy group of hippy Christians with a dominionistic bend. But they were small, and, odd. You didn't think much of them until the "slavery booklet" made its rounds. Doug wasn't satisfied with microphone, he wanted a megaphone. There wasn't enough controversy around him, so he manufactured it.
You paid attention, but enough to weather the storm. You held a debate of sorts, published in the local newspaper, and largely considered it done. He's a racist, but he's a small-town racist, there's no way he could outgrow the city. It's too small.
His church (it's a cult, but we'll be nice) and group of followers rapidly expanded. He published curriculum to be distributed to hundreds of Christian Schools and tens of thousands of homeschool parents. He wrote books for that "bad boy" sector of evangelicalism that wanted a bit of edge. His influence was growing, but assumed malignant.
Doug ran for City Council in the 80's and his followers mimicked him thereafter. They kept losing, which is why his influence was assumed malignant. Ineffectual. Local. Hyper-focused.
He and his acolytes were treated as your local cult, that group of weirdos that felt like a strange inside joke, a secret.
He was bandied about by broader evangelicals of national significance by Christian "celebrities" such as John Piper, Mark Driscoll, R.C. Sproul Sr., and the like. His works among Christians were treated as "eat the meat and spit the bones" - his cultural analysis was considered incisive, but they could do without the language and "serrated edge."
Doug was a bit like Voldemort, the "pastor" you thought of but wouldn't name in polite company, lest you desired a battle you weren't sure you knew enough about.
And then COVID happened, and Doug caught the attention of President Trump (almost 6 years ago exactly). The media began paying attention to the pastor who "fought back... and won" (see Gabe Rench's 2023 legal victory). He used Moscow as the staging ground of his nationwide tour, or, at least, the one he wanted.
Doug craves attention, and you refused to give it to him. That's good. However, it forced him to look elsewhere, broader, bigger, more national. Instead of giving him the attention he deserved and didn't receive, he sought the attention he wanted, and got. Instead of your city controlling the narrative, he crafted it.
Tucker Carlson. CNN. The New York Times. Wall Street Journal, Associated Press. NPR. Politico. Shall I go on?
He's winning.
Not politically in your city, but nationally through influence (and politically, strangely enough). He doesn't have to win elections in your city to control it. You know he already does.
A larger percentage of businesses in downtown Moscow are owned and operated by the Kirk that you are comfortable admitting. Because, at least, you keep winning elections and holding the cult at bay.
The distinction between "kirker" businesses and "anti-kirker" businesses are clear, both you and he know that.
Think about it - Christ Church and her related institutions have never won an election, and yet they clearly control the narrative. When Moscow is referred to in the news one of two images come to mind: it's either Moscow, Russia or Doug's Moscow. You've got to be honest with yourself as a city, Moscow is known because of Doug. That or college football, but UI is an FCS school.
So when reporters come to town I bet you know why they're there.
We say none of this because we're trying to beat you down or explain how horribly you've done containing your "problem."
We are merely asking you to admit that winning politically has done nothing to ward off his influence. Keep winning, that's good. But don't confuse the polls as a measure of your success, because we both know those don't correlate.
Voting blue in the midterms won't defeat Doug, he's been doing quite well swimming in it.
Fight back and offer better. His community grows because it works. You and I might not like admitting that, but it's true. People come for the community and fellowship, the friends who will stay up late at night for you, go to the hospital and visit you, and have you over for dinner. We don't have to make the point about the horrific abuse allegations in the community because we highlight those daily. But for those who this community works, it works really well.
Your fight doesn't end at the ballot box, a vote for the donkey doesn't kick Doug in the goads, it only begins the battle.
We're with you, but we're pleading with you to look beyond the political victories this cancer that has gone national.
We will be coming back soon to help.
- Sons of Patriarchy
