GRANTS PASS, Ore. – A controversial video posted to facebook has been a hot topic of discussion in the community of Grants Pass.
Gospel Rescue Mission Grants Pass posted the video, titled “Bristol and the Yard Invaders”, to its facebook page last week. The video depicts a single mother, Bristol with three children dealing with people setting up tents in her backyard.
Gospel Rescue Mission Executive Director, Brian Bouteller says the intended message of the video was to express solidarity with those who live near parks and who are having issues with the homeless.
“We tried to use a name that we thought was, um feminine and beautiful and um so we chose the name Bristol, which happens to be our Mayor’s last name and it was no attack on her, ” Bouteller explained. “We actually, it wasn’t intended as that way anyways.”
He says the Bristol character was meant to be someone to be sympathized with and that message may have been better delivered if they had gone with a different name.
When asked for a response to the video and its apparent depiction to her name, Mayor Bristol says she feels the video fell short of communicating its message.
“I’m not sure what the takeaway is supposed to be from that story, I mean I personally do and I think everybody in the community sympathizes with the people who do live next door to the parks, or the people who want to use the parks and feel like they can’t because of safety issues,” Bristol said.
Mayor Bristol says she thinks the Gospel Mission should lean more into the work it does in the community rather than make light of the situation.
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.