Elsinore: The 'City of Hate' Scandal

INTRODUCTION

Television programs in the 1950s provide the impression that this period was an age of innocence in America. With "Ozzie and Harriet," "Leave It To Beaver," and countless other TV series promoting Judeo-Christian values, it's difficult to think otherwise. "The Roy Rogers Show" took a particularly bold stand for righteousness, to the point of inserting scripture in most episodes. Even now, I can hear in my mind Dale Evans Rogers quoting, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). I would never have known such truths had it not been for that dear saint. Nor would I have known the "Happy Trails" that such wisdom can lead to.

Although God, country and family sat high in the saddle in the 1950s, the decade certainly had its low points. Somehow "equal rights" and "equal opportunity" didn't always make the cut as traditionally accepted values. Not yet. Women weren't as privileged as men, nor were blacks as privileged as whites.

So-called “God-fearing patriots” showed further contempt for the Jewish community. These sentiments carried over from the 1940s when Jews were wrongfully blamed for initiating wars for profit, dominating the banking business, and jeopardizing the economy. Surprisingly, industrialist Henry Ford during that time became one of the most influential voices spewing this sort of poison.

Then came the Holocaust of World War II. The senseless slaughter of countless innocents drew great sympathy for the Jewish people. The alternative to sympathizing was to be labeled a Nazi, and few citizens wanted that. Yet at the same time, there was little rejoicing when Jews laid hold of the American Dream. Few Americans wanted that either. For this reason, many Americans resented their Jewish neighbors.  

Bigotry wasn't the sole of society’s ills. There was also the Cold War. Communist dictators had spread great terror into many parts of the world. Those persecuted under communist regimes compared what they suffered to the Jewish suffering under the Nazis. In those lands, prison and torture awaited anyone unwilling to conform to communist doctrine and rule. The threat of communism advancing into America, the Land of the Free, created widespread panic and paranoia.

Government watchdog groups were tasked to investigate any suspicious activity on the home front. On the federal level there was the House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC). HUAC was initially formed to uncover and expose citizens who had potential ties to the Nazis. In the 1950s, the focus shifted to communist infiltrators. This was largely due to the influence of Joseph McCarthy, whose name is often synonymous with witch-hunting. Though communism was a genuine threat in his day, the broad brush of McCarthyism deemed many Americans guilty by association.

Watchdog organizations also existed at the state level. In the Golden State, the California Senate Factfinding Subcommittee on Un-American Activities (SUAC) monitored anyone showing shades of communistic red. And when a few red spots appeared in a sleepy, small, southern California town, all eyes suddenly converged on Elsinore.

Communism wasn't Elsinore's only threat. Local residents were worried about their water supply. Many feared losing their water completely, resulting in an evaporation of tourism dollars. Others were convinced that the water was turning toxic, largely due to its high fluoride content, even though little was known about fluoride in the 1950s. In those days it was mainly government agencies that warned of fluoride’s potential dangers. Not all were convinced, however, and resident communists in Elsinore alleged that the “fluoride hoax” was just a scare tactic used by an evil government to run off the growing Jewish population.

During this turbulent time, my father Pat Michaels worked as a reporter with KTLA television station in Los Angeles. He not only covered the Elsinore story, but he also created and aired a controversial television documentary about the events swirling around the city. The one-hour TV program was called "City of Hate". Pat’s was not the only report. SUAC investigators had their own version of the story.

Elsinore is based upon SUAC findings, my father's broadcast, court records and newspaper articles. Elsinore is the story of a small resort with enormous personalities and monster fears. Elsinore is the story that history tried to bury.

The Value of Training Up Younger Men

One of my greatest pleasures in ministry has been training up younger men. I was overjoyed when this idea was raised at the Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa senior pastor’s conference a couple years ago. One speaker went so far to say he swapped out his entire staff in favor of younger bucks. Honestly, I’m not ready to go that far. The way I see it, the church thrives on diversity, especially in the age department. The energy, ingenuity and creativity of the young are needed, but the church also benefits from the wisdom and experience of the old. From what I’ve observed, the two complement each other well in ministry, so long as attitudes don’t creep in.

The pastor’s conference was my shot in the arm. It affirmed me in what I already knew to be true, and what I’ve seen modeled by men like Brian Brodersen and also Chuck Smith in the early days. Here’s the deal, though. Since that conference, I haven’t heard from my peers how they might be investing in the next generation, or if they even are. So, I thought I’d share my experience. Hopefully it will ignite sparks where needed.

This year I hit sixty. I accept that I have a shelf life and won’t be around forever. Don’t get me wrong, I still feel healthy and spry. So long as I feel this way, I prefer to focus my remaining energy on young people. Without them, the church has no future. It just gets old, dull and tired.

The first thing I needed to get over was this notion that the pulpit is reserved for senior pastors only. After overcoming that hurdle, I surrendered Wednesday evening services to the youth pastor who is half my age. This wasn’t easy, as I love sharing God’s Word. However, it has been a huge blessing to watch and mentor a younger man of like passion. I suspect he will pastor his own church in the near future. What a joy it will be, knowing God used me along the way.

I’m not the original pastor of Calvary Austin where I currently serve. I planted Calvary Chapel of the Springs in San Marcos, Texas and had no plans on leaving. Twelve years later, the invitation from Calvary Austin came. What attracted me to the Austin offer was; it afforded me the opportunity to pass the San Marcos fellowship onto a younger man, Erich. He had served faithfully under me for many years, with the desire to be in full time ministry. I wanted to bring him on, but the church budget didn’t allow for it. Once I left, that changed. It’s been over six years since I passed the torch to Erich and he has proved to be an amazing pastor.

There are others I’ve invested in who are now Calvary Chapel pastors. I dare not say I was the only person (or even the main person) who poured into them, but God allowed me to share in their journey. As for me, there’s nothing more fulfilling than coming alongside young people, then watching them sprout wings and fly off on their own. But my sole motivation is not what I get out of the deal. From what I’ve observed, the entire church comes alive. If I might be so bold, a church doesn’t thrive as well with a senior’s only mentality. As an older guy, I understand the risks involved with turning ministry over to younger folks. Sometimes it doesn’t pan out as anticipated. I have multiple stories like that as well. But I’ve never regretted trying. The greater mistake is when we don’t. Too many miss out on a blessing.