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
