The Christmas Spirit
As The Luminary went to press on Thursday, I fielded a few phone calls from close friends of the Grill family who were upset at a report featured in a Platte City newspaper.
The story, based solely on a police report, recounts an alleged incident that occurred one and half months ago on election night and was first reported in The Luminary on Nov. 10, 2006 ( “Women report rape at Zona Rosa,” Vol. 5, Ep. 12). At the time we reported it there were no charges filed and no suspects named, but we made the editorial decision to run the story in the name of public safety. Zona Rosa may have a movie studio like feel, but like any other population center, there are dangers present there and The Luminary believes that people have the right to know.
Essentially, the story can be summed up in a few sentences: young man wins election in landslide, young man parties, meets girl who partied too, girl says she was assaulted in the parking lot and files a (drunken) police report which she later recants (or at least decides not to pursue charges) and the police close the case.
The unwritten part of the story? Most legitimate news outlets investigate it a month and a half ago, some report on it (The Kansas City Star was the other publication besides the Luminary that reported it…not bad for that little, rinky-dink operation), then decide there is little to merit further stories and move on – as did the woman in question and the Kansas City police. Then, a certain crew of vaunted politicos leak the story to their favorite lapdog, who dutifully prints it just in time for Christmas.
The Grills are a respected and well liked family in Parkville and their friends are understandably upset at having some outsider take a whack at them out of the blue — to scurrilously allege that a family member is a rapist (and yes, recklessly reporting what is essentially hearsay counts) – the week before Christmas. Brad Grill is an honest man who runs a respectable law practice and is held in high regard around these parts. Jason Grill ran a hard, clean campaign and many are beginning to hold him in equally high regard – enough so to elect him to office. I personally know him to be a good man and The Luminary endorsed him for office. We expect to see some good work from Mr. Grill in the coming years.
Honest journalism and the public’s right to know doesn’t take a break during the holidays but neither does poor taste and witless pandering – that’s one lesson learned here. The other lesson is far more serious.
This is going to come as a shock to many readers, but long ago, before I became an upstanding pillar of the community, loving husband and Time’s Person of the Year, I was a bit of a socialite and, on rare occasion would eschew lemonade and milkshakes for hardier fare in locations of ill repute. At the time, I was single and working as a cliche in Greenwich Village, New York (a writer). One night, a wise man told me that “nothing good ever happens after 2 a.m.” (Actually, now that I recall, he wasn’t a particularly wise man, but I think he may have been a hitman.)
Representative Grill has strenuously denied the allegations in this case and I believe him. I have spoken with his legal consul and know that they were planning on vigorously defending their claim in court and had a list of witnesses prepared. The woman in question has also refused to press charges in the matter. I also know that the leadership in Jefferson City was aware of the police report (probably how said vaunted strategists first learned of it) but they too have dismissed it.
One thing that Mr. Grill and the woman in question should not dismiss is the advice above. It makes no difference if you’re good or bad, boy or girl – when you’re hanging out in bars late at night, bad things tend to happen. They shouldn’t – but they often do. Even if it was a one off shindig on the night he drubbed his opponent at the polls Mr. Grill needs to know that as a representative of the people he will be held to a higher level of accountability now. A visit to Hyannis Port is out of the question.
Simply put, if there is a victim in this crime, we urge them to pursue charges. If there isn’t, we urge those who have been unfairly maligned in a political hit job to defend themselves vigorously, utilizing the court system if need be, and get back to the considerable amount of work ahead.
As always (not including the 150 year break between volumes two and three) The Luminary will be there to report on it all.
*****
Christmas means many things to many people, but I’ve always loved the editorial that we have reprinted on page one this week. Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business. It’s one of the most famous editorials ever written, surpassing even my missives on the evils of Popeye and how sexy my squint is (still getting hits on our website’s archives after a year).
From my family to yours, here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas.