Racial tensions are flaring in Wisconsin again in the wake of media reporting of an allegation from a landowner who claims that a Hmong hunter pointed a gun at him. The police accepted the story and used dozens of officers to seize a Hmong man, Toua Lor, from his home Saturday night. A media circus is brewing as cameras and journalists surround the Hmong home in Appleton, trying to question family members. I just spoke with the wife of Toua Lor and learned that she is terrified for the safety of her family and that her children have been followed and harassed by the media.

According to the family, especially troubling were the actions of Fox 11 News and NBC TV who trespassed onto the property of Toua's family and refused to leave them alone after Toua's wife demanded that they leave. They rang the doorbell repeatedly, trying to get them to come out and say more. This was happening after sunset, around 8 pm, as I understand, causing one of the children to be seriously frightened by the threat of these disrespectful journalists. Shame on the media!

Those of us who know Toua Lor know that he has remarkable control over his temper, that he is a sweet and gentle man with great respect for other people who works and cooperates well with whites. The idea that he would endanger another human being for anything other than self-defense is beyond belief. The media continues to remind people about the tragedy of Chai Vang who killed some people last year, as if that has anything to do with this case. It does not.

The Post-Crescent's unfair spin on the story suggested that the allegations are factual, with no effort to convey Toua's side of the story or the possibility that a false accusation has been made.

I'm upset that this could happen here in Wisconsin, or anywhere.

Update: One the other hand, turning to the broader issue of hunting and property rights, there may be some legitimate concerns that landowners have about hunting near their property, or about trespassing property to get to hunting land. I think part of any healing process after this event must include some discussion of what should and should not be done when it comes to hunting and enforcing property rights. I've heard from several sources that there have been tensions between hunters and landowners in several areas across the state. If you have any good suggestions or resources on this topic, please let me know. I am not a hunter.

Today Appleton's Post-Crescent newspaper has a story about a Hmong hunter who was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at a landowner. The story invokes memories of the Hmong hunter murders a year ago, in which six white men were killed by a Hmong hunter after the owner of the land asked the man to get off their property. It also quotes someone condemning "this kind of garbage" and suggesting that the Hmong man "chose the wrong way" to respond, as if the allegations are true. (Nov. 4 Update: The quote referred to the problem of trespassing and appears to be a reasonable statement, based in input I've received from the source.)

I don't think the Post-Crescent's article is fair. All that we know is that there was a dispute (the suspect, Toua Lor, acknowledged this, according to the newspaper), that the Hmong man left, that the owner then called the police to accuse him of pointing a gun, and that the man was then arrested. As far as I know, there is not yet any admission of wrongdoing or any evidence that Toua Lor made threats of any kind. After reading the newspaper article, one might think that we narrowly escaped another murderous rampage of a crazed Hmong hunter, when there was perhaps simply a misunderstanding between a hunter and the owner of the land. The owner may have overreacted or may have actually been threatened - we don't know yet. It's too early to assume we know what took place.

Actually, I know the suspect. The Toua Lor I know does not fit into common stereotypes of the Hmong people. He's a kind and gentle man, from all that I've seen, and one that shows a great deal of respect for authority, law, and other people. I don't know what happened, but I worry that the local media response will only exacerbate tensions between the white and Hmong communities.

Miller Electric is one of Appleton's major employers, a world-class company leading the welding industry. I had a tour in one of their facilities earlier this year through an event for Scouting and was highly impressed with the history of innovation at this company. Welding is one of the world's most vital industries, and the advanced technologies it requires are diverse and fascinating. I've met a number of Miller's recent hires and am also impressed with the high caliber of people they being into the company.

Plasma cutters, arc welders, wire feeders, spot welders, submerged arc welders, and welding with a variety of technology (flux cored welding, for example) are among the many products Miller Electric offers. Great company - glad we've got you in the Valley!

Northeastern Wisconsin barely escaped suffering a Columbine-like disaster at East High School in Green Bay, just 30 minutes north of Appleton. Thanks to a tip from another student, Green Bay police were able to stop two seventeen-year-olds, Shawn Ryan Sturtz and William Charles Cornell, who had prepared bombs and weapons to carry out a massacre at their suburban school. Details are in the WFRV story, "Green Bay Teens Were Obsessed With Columbine Massacre."

These students were truly into the dark side, being heavily into "Goth culture" and obsessed with thoughts of pain and death.

Even in seemingly healthy communities, kids can access all sorts of materials and influences that can bring them to become agents of destruction. More vigilance from parents and others is needed. We were tremendously lucky, but more problems may be brewing anywhere.

The dark and violent nature of video games, movies, and other forms of entertainment available online and through major media outlets can make it all the easier for the mentally unstable to go from troubled to demonic.

Parents, wake up. What kind of materials do you expose your kids to? What are they learning from the movies they watch and games they play? Are your children becoming psychopaths in your own home?

A huge Appleton home is in the news this morning, featured on the front page of the Living Well section of the newspaper. The 13,000-square-foot home of Deb and John Carew has some amazing features such as an inside basketball court. It's a beautiful mansion indeed.

Above the mahogany bar is more Badgers memorabilia, as well as flat-panel screens for watching college football. Opposite the bar is a home theater area, and nearby is a seating area for guests who would rather chat about things other than the Badgers' offense.

To house a basketball court, swimming pool, whirlpool and other rec room amenities, the Carews had to build a huge home. It didn't start out that large when they began planning it in May 2005, but design changes made the house grow, and keep on growing. . . .

I hope the Carews plan on staying in this area for a long time! At least right now, the housing market is pretty painful for sellers, but wonderful for buyers.

Appleton's John Bradley stands by a poster based on the famous Iwo Jima photo.
(This image comes from the US Marines and is in the public domain, according to Wikipedia.)

John Bradley, a man from Appleton, is one of the soldiers raising the flag in the famous photo from Iwo Jima in 1945. His son, James, is author of the best-selling book, Flags of our Fathers, which deals with the lives of the six men in that photo. John Bradley died in 1994, the last of the six to pass away. John Bradley is being honored with a new orchestral piece that the Fox Valley Symphony has commissioned as part of its 2006/2007 anniversary season. The work is "Quiet Heroes (A Symphonic Salute to the Flag Raisers at Iwo Jima)." Chris Brubeck, the East coast jazz musician and composer, is writing the music. Can't wait to hear it!

The magazine Boomers and Beyond has an article on this story (the link is to page 1) with a photo of John Bradley on page 2 (also see page 3, page 4, page 5, and page 6 of the article, each a PDF file).

For another photo of John Bradley, the photo at Iwo Jima, and details about the people in it, see "The Flag Raisers" at IwoJima.com and also see the Wikipedia entry for John Bradley.

Appleton remains proud of John Bradley and our many other war heroes and patriotic service men of the past and present.

Tonight my wife and I and a son explored Branching Out: A European Flower Market, a downtown shop at 129 E. College Avenue (954-1266). It's a beautiful little shop owned by Barbara Fermanich, who has been in the business for 15 years. She moved to the College Avenue location about five years ago. Branching out features garden-style flowers, plus a mix of photos, paintings, decorations, and crafts. Very enjoyable and pleasant place to stroll through. Drop by and pick up a couple flowers!

I'm impressed with the interesting mix of shops we have in downtown Appleton.

Brewed Awakening is a small coffee shop and cafe in the heart of Appleton (107 E. College Avenue, Appleton) with a fine selection of baked items and especially gelato and sorbet. I sampled a couple unusual flavors, including "Olive Oil and Sea Salt" (just a touch of both ingredients - not strong at all) and settled for a mix of "Blueberry Pancake" and Lemon Sorbet. $3 for a small, $4 for a large serving. My son and I shared a large and were pretty pleased.

This was dessert after one of our favorite low-cost means, gyros at the Gyros Kabob (118 Soldiers Square - a tiny shop tucked between buildings on the backside of College Avenue in Soldiers Square). I noted that they've added a new selection, the "Cheater Gyro" for semi-vegetarians who can't resist the great taste of gyro meat. It's a veggie-heavy pita with a couple strips of gyro meat. Now that's great marketing! I had one and really enjoyed it.

Brewed Awakening and Gyros Kabob are just a short walk apart.

Tonight I met a local musician, Michael Murphy, while enjoying a gelato with my family at one of Appleton's great little cafes and coffee shops. Michael's band, "Michael Murphy and the Mob," plays real Chicago-style blues. He performs several times a month in the area, and is a regular at our Saturday morning farmers' market in downtown Appleton. Very personable man and fine musician. Check out his Website.

Appleton and the Fox Cities feature a wide variety of art galleries. One of my favorite is the Appleton Art Center at 111 W. College Avenue. From Sept. 15 to Nov. 11, they will host "Art India," an exhibit aimed at providing insight into the culture and art of India.

The Appleton Pulic Library also often features art. The currently have a display of photography from Vietnam by Dick Swanson. This will be on the first floor until Oct. 31.

The Art Gallery by Koehn, 1000 W. Wisconsin Ave., has photography from the Packers and Bears, plus other watercolors and photography. Phone: 920-739-4112.

UW Fox-Valley's Aaron Bohrod Gallery is currently featuring works by Gail Penske, T.C. Farley, and Jeff Lilpschutz.

In downtown Neenah, Art Affair (108 W. Wisconsin Ave.) displays work from over 80 local artists. I know the owner of Art Affair and think you'll really enjoy what she has to offer. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 10-4 p.m. Saturday. Phone 920-727-2050.

A larger listing of local galleries is available in the Sept. 3, 2006 Post-Crescent, page D-5.

I recently took a group to the Machine Shed restaurant near the Fox River Mall (northwest corner of College Avenue and Highway 41). They offer ood American-style food, including sandwiches, salads, fish dishes, etc. Reasonable prices, good service. And excellent desserts. One of the few places with apple-pie ice cream served with apple pie.