Out Of Context And Out Of Her Ass

The Moonie Times tries, unsucessfully, to rehabilitate the good terrorist-lovin' folk of rural North Carolina.

"[Our] town has been misinterpreted," said Missy Benham, executive director of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce.

"I would hate to think that someone would pick your city or New York City or any community and pick one extremist and try to label the entire community on that one person, whatever that person's values were," she said.

Some reports, particularly one in the June 2nd editions of the New York Times, played up the fact that a local restaurateur in Cherokee County had changed the sign in front of her diner to read: "Pray for Eric Rudolph."

"That woman only moved to our community three months ago," Ms. Benham said. "Her sign was taken out of context. ... What [she] was trying to say is to pray for [Rudolph�s] soul and his family and not that she was in support of what he did."

Here's part of the NYT article:

Betty Howard made many people happy today, and it was not for her daily special. Around noon, Mrs. Howard walked outside, glanced up at the sign in front of her diner and decided to change the lettering on the marquee from ''Roast Turkey Baked Ham'' to ''Pray for Eric Rudolph.''

''Bless his heart,'' Mrs. Howard said. ''Eric needs our help.''

Mrs. Howard said she was going to start an Eric Rudolph legal defense fund. Many customers have already said they would chip in.

Well, bless Missy's heart, but it appears she's jes' funnin' with us. I wonder how many of the local yokels pledged their funds to the Muhammed/Malvo legal defense fund (bless their sharpshoot'n hearts). Maybe they can mumble a few words for Alice Hawthorne's daughter after they pass the collection plate for Eric.