It is unfortunate that there are those in the United States who would try to spin Mitt Romney's membership in the LDS faith as a negative and as a reason to not elect him president. Many of us in Utah want our faith to accepted throughout the USA as a Christian religion, and we are concerned about the religious prejudice that still haunts our faith throughout America even in these modern days.
So why are so many of us outraged when there are those in our country who attack our religion for political gain? Simply said, because it is wrong to do so. Time and time again LDS political leaders, both Republican and Democratic, have proved that they are both capable and competent. We have had several past and present Utah Democratic elected office holders who are revered by Utahns regardless of their party affiliation, and yet there are those in Utah who continue to demonize and demoralize competent candidates as something less than worthy to hold public office just because their conscience compels them to run as Democrats.
Even Mitt Romney has stated that a single-party system is not good for politics, and yet for too long a majority of Utah voters have declined to even consider great Democratic candidates (and very often better candidates) because of their own religious and/or political prejudice based on the misperception that Democratic values and LDS values don't mix.
A former employer once told me that when we point a finger at someone else it is generally wise to realize that there are three of our own fingers pointing right back at us. I often forget this lesson especially when it comes to an issue that has dominated the pages of this blog over the last six months. But please realize that my passion for this issue (vouchers) has never been for me a partisan issue, but is truly something I see as a bad policy for a state that rates 49th in per-pupil spending, and because I believe that building a second to none public education system that serves all children should be our common goal. Just because I hold tight to this belief doesn't mean that my view is unworthy of consideration simply because I am a proud Utah Democrat. If the truth be known I have been working just as close with Utah Republicans on this issue as I have Democrats, and yet Republican office holders and leaders have tried to paint the opponents of this issue as "Liberals", "union thugs", "educrats", and "Democrats". It is true that every elected Democratic legislator opposed vouchers, but all this shows is that Utah Democrats are truly the Party for the majority of Utahns when it comes to this most important issue.
Maybe more people in our country would be more tolerant of our LDS faith if LDS voters in Utah were more tolerant of their more than capable and competent Democratic friends and neighbors who choose to belong to a organization that has a great history of providing ethical public service to the citizens of Utah. Maybe when that happens we will truly understand what it means to reap what we sew, and maybe we can learn to work in a manner that is more pragmatic for the common good of all Utahns.
I am a proud Utah Democrat and I'm glad to be here with you.
With every best wish,
The Utah Amicus
So why are so many of us outraged when there are those in our country who attack our religion for political gain? Simply said, because it is wrong to do so. Time and time again LDS political leaders, both Republican and Democratic, have proved that they are both capable and competent. We have had several past and present Utah Democratic elected office holders who are revered by Utahns regardless of their party affiliation, and yet there are those in Utah who continue to demonize and demoralize competent candidates as something less than worthy to hold public office just because their conscience compels them to run as Democrats.
Even Mitt Romney has stated that a single-party system is not good for politics, and yet for too long a majority of Utah voters have declined to even consider great Democratic candidates (and very often better candidates) because of their own religious and/or political prejudice based on the misperception that Democratic values and LDS values don't mix.
A former employer once told me that when we point a finger at someone else it is generally wise to realize that there are three of our own fingers pointing right back at us. I often forget this lesson especially when it comes to an issue that has dominated the pages of this blog over the last six months. But please realize that my passion for this issue (vouchers) has never been for me a partisan issue, but is truly something I see as a bad policy for a state that rates 49th in per-pupil spending, and because I believe that building a second to none public education system that serves all children should be our common goal. Just because I hold tight to this belief doesn't mean that my view is unworthy of consideration simply because I am a proud Utah Democrat. If the truth be known I have been working just as close with Utah Republicans on this issue as I have Democrats, and yet Republican office holders and leaders have tried to paint the opponents of this issue as "Liberals", "union thugs", "educrats", and "Democrats". It is true that every elected Democratic legislator opposed vouchers, but all this shows is that Utah Democrats are truly the Party for the majority of Utahns when it comes to this most important issue.
Maybe more people in our country would be more tolerant of our LDS faith if LDS voters in Utah were more tolerant of their more than capable and competent Democratic friends and neighbors who choose to belong to a organization that has a great history of providing ethical public service to the citizens of Utah. Maybe when that happens we will truly understand what it means to reap what we sew, and maybe we can learn to work in a manner that is more pragmatic for the common good of all Utahns.
I am a proud Utah Democrat and I'm glad to be here with you.
With every best wish,
The Utah Amicus
25 comments:
“….I believes that building a second to none public education system that serves all children should be our common goal.”
One very effective way that we in the state of Utah can do this is to accept vouchers and allow parents a choice, rather than have our educational system dictated by educrats, unions and state school boards that don’t follow the law.
I just got back from New Hampshire where vouchers failed in the last legislative session and they are slowly being resereected and state has been progressive enough to do away with kindergarten which I believe is a great move – this empowers parents to either to keep their children at home or send their kids to a private school and it gets government out of the business of funding an additional year of school with public tax dollars.
Dear Anonymous,
The Board was vindicated and showed wise judgment by not implementing what was only an amendment. How was the law not followed? What is sad is that the legislature and AG's office was more inclined to use their public trust to force their political views on us than to do what was sound and legal.
"I just got back from New Hampshire where vouchers failed in the last legislative session and they are slowly being resereected and state has been progressive enough to do away with kindergarten which I believe is a great move – this empowers parents to either to keep their children at home or send their kids to a private school..."
So New Hampshire has taken choice away from parents of kindergarten age children who could not afford private academies or day care. I guess it is hard to understand that not everyone can afford a private education, or that some people work for a living.
Funding vouchers is the easy way out for a legislature that has ignored Utah's public schools. It is also a great vehicle for those legislators to continue to receive funds, which is what this entire voucher issue is really about.
BTW, I have yet to see any union or educrat telling my child's teacher how she should teach my child, but please continue to show your arrogance, or is it ignorance, as you are actually helping the cause.
I think Mitt Romney is probably a great LDS person. I am LDS as well, and it's a matter of opinion whether I'm "great". But I don't like his Bush-sounding brand of politics.
You hit the nail on the head, when you wrote:
"Maybe more people in our country would be more tolerant of our LDS faith if LDS voters in Utah were more tolerant of their more than capable and competent Democratic friends and neighbors"
It may not be exactly on topic, but I wrote about something similar recently on Simple Utah Mormon Politics. The importance is not to win the game, but whether we play fair. We all feel passionately about the voucher issue, but passion does not guarantee integrity. I sense that you do an excellent job to maintain your integrity in the debate on this and other controversial issues, and I hope that I can as well.
Mitt is actually going around telling good LDS members that they have a religious obligation to support him.
No one can convince these people that the reason many do not support Mitt has nothing to do with his religion.
Honestly I think that is exactly how Mitt wants it, it is integral to his sales pitch to create this confusion.
The thing that bothers me about Mitt is that he is using this prejudice against LDS as a way to convince Mormons to ignore his pandering and flip flopping.
My wife and I were talking about this tonight, there was an article about the idea of romantic irony, also known as owning it. It is almost like Mitt's pandering and flip flopping has become so much a part of his "character" that it is no longer a liability and instead you wonder when Mitt will start joking about it himself.
Well said Rob. Great post.
I am about to post a Hillary for Pres. in my Mormon front yard. Shall we take wagers on how many days or hours it will survive before it is stollen Rob. Have you ever had any signs disappear in Davis County?
Thanks for the post.
WP,
I dare you. :-) I would love to see the reaction you get.
I ordered two signs and when the first is ripped up it will be replaced immediately. Cabellas sells cameras that sense movement for wildlife hunters. I have thought about setting one up so when the sign goes at least I may capture on film the R terrorists. What do you think, maybe less than a day?
hmm. probably about 23 minutes.
I love how the Demos cry about a two party system. Vote for us so we can have a healthy political enviroment. Our ideas are just as bad as the GOP's, but don't worry about that. We just need a real two party system. Blah blah blah. If your ideas were any good more people would vote for you. Simple as that. Once the lemmings in Utah realize that neither major party really cares about what they think they will see the wisdom in not following any party at all. Well at least not one of the "two".
I also find it interesting that I can chose to kill my unborn child, but once that child is born I can't choose where and how to educate them. You guys are unbelievable.
Wow, someone is trying to connect abortion with vouchers. How pathetic. Vouchers are nothing but a scam. The choice is there for anyone to send their kids to a private school.
And Roylance is another whiney conservative who does not understand how a two-party system works. Probably because he has only lived in a Utah style of a one-party government system.
So, if choice is what he wants, maybe he should start voting for the candidate and stop voting for the "R".
Mr. Watson,
Vouchers a scam?? Why? Everyone has the choice to send their kids to a private school???? I would love to send my kids to a private school, but wait, the money the government takes(feel free to insert steals), from me prevents me from doing so.
I don't vote just R. Unlike some in this state I do look at the candidate and issues. I've voted C,D,R, and I. I almost voted L once, almost.
Question? Since when did this state or country not have a multi party system??
Answer- We've always had it. It's just one side continues to get their clocks cleaned and would rather cry about it than try to fix it.
Let's get past the childish banter and talk ideas. I'm open to any good ones. Just haven't found any lately from either the D's or the R's.
John,
Maybe you shouldn't cry when people outside of the LDS Church don't accept Mormon candidates due to the fact that LDS voters are so intolerant of any view but their own.
What does the GOP have without scaring people with abortion and gay marriage? NOTHING! What you do have is the biggest bunch of crooks and scumbags leading your national party. Scandal after scandal, but I guess you feel that crimes against pages and retirement accounts are in your eyes respectable.
Peter Corroon won his election thanks to a scandal. Now that he is in office it is obvious that he was the better person to serve the best interest of the people who elected him.
You can continue to beat your Voucher drum, but their is no bigger lie than the words used to describe the organization behind it. Parents for Choice in Education wants to dismantle public education so that everyone will be forced into a privatized education system leaving no choice for the majority of Utahns who ustalize and are grateful for the public education sysytem.
Just like the Utah Legislature, it must hard to be humble when you are perfect in every way.
I'm not being childish, I'm merely pointing out that conservatives love to throw in the abortion issue as a crutch in disussing any issue.
The money that "government" takes from you is also used for other uses besides education(roads, public safety, water, etc.). If you can send your kids to a private school because of a voucher, then you already have the resources to do so without having us, the taxpayers, pay for two education systems.
If you have the resources, you have the choice. Vouchers do not provid the necessary resources for anyone to pay tuition, uniforms, books, fees and any other costs involved with the child's admittance to the school. Vouchers are tax paid subsidies and only benefit a fraction of the school aged children and do not benefit public education.
Mr. Roylance, I suggest that you come up with a better solution of improving public schools if you feel that are failing and vouchers are not the answer.
I am always amused when Utah Democrats argue against Utah's single-party system for a couple of reasons.
#1: Utah was effectively a Democratic single-party system for over three solid decades last Century. Few Democrats complained.
#2: Many comments are so incredibly condescending toward Republican voters. The underlying and or even overt sentiment is that Utah's Republicans are stupid intolerant fools. Apparently only Democrats can have arrived at their political opinions through a thoughtful process. Strangely, however, for Democratic ranks to swell they will have to recruit a bunch of those they deride as intolerant dolts. Dale Carnegie once wrote a book called How to Win Friends and Influence People. Utah Democrats might want to read it sometime.
Right now, I'd say that we have a three-party system in Utah. The two major parties are the major factions of the GOP. The third party is the Democrat Party. Many in one of the GOP's major factions would make fine Democrats, were it not for the positions of the DNC.
Still, Utah's demographics are changing. As it does so, I suppose the GOP stranglehold will diminish.
Seems like a better way has been thought of. Private, charter and public. With parents having the choice to send their kids to whatever school they choose.
You're living in a dream world if you think public schools can be saved in their current form. They would need some major overhauling to really work. I like the idea of small neighborhood schools. Controled by parents. Not moronic Superintendants. This is why I'm leaning to charter schools. I have no say in what my kids are taught in the public schools. This worries me. Doesn't it worry you?
My parents were both teachers. Listening to them talk about parents and administrators would make you sick. Government has no right being in the education business. It's the responsibility of parents to get their kids educated.
Gary whatever you are smoking stop. Did you read anything I posted. I am not a member of the GOP. I could careless what other believe about my religion.I happen to be mormon. My name isn't on the building(the church building that is), if it were I would worry about what others think.Until that day I lose sleep about it. So get off your liberal anit-mormon high horse. Read the posts and bring something intelligent to the conversation instead of empty rhetoric. Otherwise stay out of the conversation
My simple question is this. where are your ideas? Like I said I'm open to any good ones.
Funny how Republicans blame issues like abortion on local Dems when it was the supreme court that made it legal.
As a Utah Republican I can honestly say that the best thing that can happen to our party is to elect more Utah democrats.
Reach Upwards,
#1: Utah was effectively a Democratic single-party system for over three solid decades last Century. Few Democrats complained.
Not in my lifetime Reach.
#2: Many comments are so incredibly condescending toward Republican voters. The underlying and or even overt sentiment is that Utah's Republicans are stupid intolerant fools.
That's your message not the Democrats. Can I also point out that is not what this post is about. Miller must have really struck a nerve.
Keep reaching!
Mr Roylance,
I know the public education system well.
My wife is a high school teacher and I have been on two community coucils and the local PTA board.
It is a myth to believe that parents have no choice and no say. Baloney. By being involved, a parent has a say. When parents unite and show what they want in our schools, school boards do listen. But to sit on the side lines and complain about the system will acomplish nothing.
Of course school boards have some problems, but they can be solved. Non-partisan elections is the best way of changing the leaders of the board and at least, give the public some power rather giving all the power to a few.
Actually, it was not necessarily what Rob wrote that struck a nerve, but rather, some of the comments that have been posted that engendered my slant. And yes, the Democratic Party was king of the hill in Utah starting in the early 1930s. Many Utahns became staunch supporters of FDR's policies. The GOP could get no respect in Utah at that time.
A change that started in the late 50s became complete in the 70s when arguably radical elements usurped control of the national Democratic Party (check out the history of the 1972 convention). Many long-time politicians didn't appreciate the sea change that had occurred. 3-term U.S. Senator Frank Moss was completely caught off guard by political carpet bagget novice Orrin Hatch. And we've endured the results ever since then.
The GOP dynasty won't last forever in Utah. But Democrats could go a long way toward ending it sooner by making people feel more welcome rather than berating them for their opinions and beliefs.
Reach Upward,
See that is difference between Republicans and Democrats - Democrats (check out the history of the 1972 convention) realized the mess that was Vietnam and forced their own party to come to grips with rejecting this horrible policy.
Republicans on the other hand still can't see the forest through the trees when it comes to Iraq, it is full steam ahead. Just look at the way Republicans are treating Ron Paul and you want to talk about radical elements taking over a party.
Also I don't make any apologies for calling out Republicans and the horrible direction they have taken our country.
As for the condescending tone toward Republicans you need only take a good look in the mirror. We had a good portion of a presidency where Republicans had nothing better to do than talk about a blowjob. We had Republicans tell us about bring back honesty and decency to the White House, yea we saw how that worked out. Republicans have spent the last three decades calling us liberals - baby killers, god hating, commie loving, socialist scum...so don't come around here tell us that about the how your feelings are hurt by all the mean stuff liberals are saying.
Sorry I happen to love my country a hell of a lot more then I care about hurting Republican feelings.
Loving commentary of that nature is part of the reason Democrats have difficulty attracting support in Utah. Both (in fact, all) parties have their "get out of here if you don't totally agree with me" elements. But it hurts a party worse when it is a minority party.
Actually our support is growing everyday. You can live in the past and pretend it is the present, but we are working in the present for a better future.
May I link your blog?
Thanks for stopping by.
Politizing the state school board is one of the best things that the legislature can do for the state Utah.
By having candidates accountable to political parties and to voters, we can be assured of a school board that is accountable and law abiding, i.e. Listening to the attorney general.
Rather than having these hipping thinking, granola eating, al gore eco nut sun worshipers – who support educrats and unions sitting on the state school board – we can have a proactive citizens who obey the law, and respect the wishes of the voters of this state and the political parties that they represent and support parents – not those ingrained in the educational bureaucracy
"Politizing the state school board is one of the best things that the legislature can do for the state Utah."
Now I know I'm not in Kansas anymore. What an asshat!
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