Paul Mero posted on Utah Amicus about a gaggle of high school girls (all under 16) in the depressed Massachusetts town of Gloucester who decided it would be cool if they all got pregnant at roughly the same time.
My favorite take on the whole issue comes from Rachel Lucas. If you can handle moderate profanity give it a read. She may be overreacting in her call for mandatory sterilization of all teenagers but after reading the above story it is hard to argue that she isn’t on to something.
This one has made its rounds before but I saw it for the first time yesterday and loved it.
H/T Agitator
It isn’t often that I can say Bob Lonsberry is exactly correct about something. This article is one of those few cases.
UPDATE 04/18/2008 11:03AM: Guy Murray at Messenger and Advocate has an even better rundown on the weakness of Texas’ case after the first day of hearings.
H/T Alienated Wannabe
I liked this post by Mick Stockinger at Uncorrelated today. His politics are pretty loony (but often articulated well). His social commentary is nearly always right on and very fun to read.
I enjoyed the post but at the same time remembered how very glad I am not to have to play the dating game anymore. It was fun but also terribly stressful.
I had never been to a precinct caucus meeting before tonight. The meetings for Democrats and Republicans in district 16 were held at Northridge High School in Layton. The Democrats had about 20 people in our meeting while the Republicans probably had 8 to 10 times that number and had to use the school’s auditorium.
The Democratic caucus went well. I especially appreciated meeting Carole Peterson, candidate for the legislature. Her background as former chief clerk (30+ years) of the Utah House of Representatives makes her an excellent candidate in this race. She’s seen the political misdeeds of the Republicans who’ve run the capital for the past few decades. She knows for certain what needs to change and how to make those changes. I emptied my wallet and donated what I could to her as soon as the meeting was over. We need representatives who will be responsive to their constituent citizens and who aren’t part of a graft producing machine. Ms. Peterson spoke about her respect for the importance of the office she’s running for and her long career of careful non-partisan service as chief clerk of the House testifies of her sincerity. Anyone who can help her campaign out or donate really should. Beating Kevin Garn won’t be easy…but its not impossible either. If anyone can do it in our area of Davis County I’m betting it is Ms. Peterson.
There wasn’t a lot to vote on in the caucus. Democrats don’t have multiple candidates for any office up for election this year in our precinct so we had a good time meeting each other and called it a night. As our meeting adjourned the Republicans had just ended their large group meeting and had broken up into smaller groups. They were going up the stairs while we were going down. I saw several people from my ward, including my Bishop, following the herd upstairs.
There were times leading up to tonight when I had considered joining that herd only because it sometimes seems so hopeless for Democrats in Davis County. As I watched the dozens of Republican men and women who filed past the handful of Democrats we had I knew for certain that there was no way I’ll be switching to Republican. There is no logical reason for there to be such a political imbalance in our community. A significant portion of the Republicans I saw have exactly the same policy priorities our Democrats have but they’ve accepted the foolish cultural dogma that only Republicans represent their values. Utah’s political environment would be far more dynamic, ethical, and trustworthy if there was real partisan competition in our state. I’m glad I participated tonight if only to do my small part in helping that happen. Utah deserves better than we’ve currently chosen for ourselves. I’m hoping and acting on the belief that our situation is reversible.
Because there apparently aren’t enough real criminals to pursue in Utah, Attorney General Shurtleff wants everyone to remember that he’s looking to fine people who bet on March Madness brackets this year.
Utah: The state where it will always be illegal to be an adult.
UPDATE 03/11/2008 11:07: I like VOU’s proposed solution to the silliness that is Utah’s extreme gambling prohibition.
Here is an interview Brian Schweitzer (Democratic governor of Montana) recently had with NPR. It is very short and sweet and forceful explanation of the foolishness that is “Real Id”. Give the interview a listen then try to imagine Gov. Huntsman being that cool. Pretty hard eh?
It would sure be nice to have a chance to support a candidate like Mr. Schweitzer in Utah. Do you think it is possible that a state like ours, so heavily influenced by cultural Mormonism, could ever elect someone known for his willingness to kick butt in the fight for our freedoms and rights instead of someone well-known because he’s really rich, really pretty, and really Mormon?
Ugh…when the legislature is in session it is sometimes difficult to do a happy post.
I don’t think I can beat this one tonight so I’m not even going to try.
Thank you Mark at BCC. That was my favorite read of the week.
UPDATE 03/02/08 9:41 PM: Jason picked up on the “Happy Post” meme and knocked one out of the park. Comic irony nearly always equals a Happy Post!
The new Star Wars movies kind of ruined the whole franchise for me (either that or I’m just older now). This has me so excited I almost cried when I saw it. Here’s hoping May 22nd won’t be a let down.
I’m willing to take Sen. Buttars at his word that his comments yesterday weren’t intended as a racial slur. They sure sounded bad and don’t contribute to helping the image of Utahns as being a tolerant people who can accept others who are different. Even so I think it was a case of someone talking without engaging their brain. I don’t think Sen. Buttars meant his remark as a malicious commentary about skin color.
We have enough examples of our Republican legislature’s racial bigotry and general intolerance of people who are different here, here, and here without having to contrive offense at comments that the speaker claims weren’t meant in the way we’re choosing to frame them.
I just started reading the comments on this KSL story about the House voting down driving privilege cards for illegal immigrants. I was a little shocked at how many people think taking these permits away is a good idea.
None of the first dozen or so comments that I’ve read so far mentioned the rationale Donnelson claimed motivated him to draft his bill:
Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, said the cards are a threat to national security and encourage illegal immigrants to settle in Utah.
“With the driver privilege card, we do not know who they are,” Donnelson said. “Are they terrorists? Are they just people who want to come here to work? We don’t know.”
Who does Donnelson think he’s kidding? “Are they terrorists?” What? Has there been a rash of car bombings in North Ogden I haven’t heard about? Of course they aren’t terrorists. All I can take from his statement is that Rep. Donnelson thinks we are all either stupid enough to think there really is a national security concern or that we are just racist enough that we won’t call him on his idiotic assertion.
I’d like to hear a good argument for why penalizing these people is worth increasing our auto insurance premiums and making our roads less safe. I don’t think there is one.
UPDATE 02/12/2008 10:09 PM: Sen. Buttars, you’re not helping.
Last night was a wake-up call for economically conservative Republicans. They are but a small minority of their own party and their party has little reason to respect them.
Nearly 90% of Utah’s Republican voters voted for Mitt Romney. While many likely cast a ballot for Romney because he is LDS those who supported Romney because they thought he was the only real small government conservative option now know that they are the least important segment of their party behind the economic moderates/liberals who are foreign policy hawks (neoconservatives) and the religious right.
I abandoned the Republican party because I saw this happening quite a while ago. It will be interesting to see what happens to Republicans after they get smashed in the general election (and there is little doubt that they will be utterly smashed). The knowledge everyone should take away from this primary election is that economic conservatism is less popular with voters than it ever has been since Ronald Reagan. As much as I hate the Republican party this development is really disheartening. There doesn’t seem to be a sizeable small-government constituency any more. That is really bad.
UPDATE 2/06/08 10:44: It looks like participants at this Sutherland Institute gathering came to roughly the same conclusion about Republicanism in Utah as I have about Republicanism nationally. Small government conservatism just doesn’t seem to be a governing principle for most Republicans.
H/T Senate Site
UPDATE 2/06/08 2:48 PM: Mick Stockinger makes a good argument for the case that it is all about identity politics…not the issues. I still think Republicans who stick with their party hoping for small government conservatism are deluded but Mick’s point that voters don’t care about the issues in elections makes a ton of sense.
If sweetened beers really do “represent nothing less than an insidious ploy to introduce our kids into the liquor industry and their products” then Sen. Buttars is probably right. They should be sold in liquor stores instead of in grocery stores. I’d be willing to bet that “alcopops” aren’t nearly the problem that my church leaders/legislators (sometimes it is a bit hard to tell the difference between these groups) think they are but if these beverages are really a problem then getting them off the shelves represents good government policy.
I think we should use the empty shelf space at the grocery store for a safer alcoholic product that won’t appeal nearly as much to our impressionable youth. Wine. Thats right…wine. It ticks me off that I can’t buy decent wine to cook with at the grocery store. Having to make a special trip to the liquor store just so I can get actual marsala stinks.
So here is my message to Utah’s legislature. Lets save the children by moving the scary sugary alcohol off of store shelves while at the same time making it easier to cook a delicious meal by letting Utah’s adults, Mormon and non-Mormon, have easier access to good wine…strictly for cooking of course…
UPDATE: 1/18/08 6:42AM
Dan and For The People have posts up that discuss this issue. I think both of them are right in pointing out that the LDS church’s press release is a more a result of anti-alcohol policy than any data that points to these drinks being especially harmful to young people. The word of wisdom is pretty clear and I’m willing to obey it. I just don’t get why my church needs to lobby our government so much to prevent alcohol use by people who don’t share our beliefs.
Mick Stockinger has an excellent post up today discussing a bit of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and recent charges against my church of racism.
I rarely agree with Mr. Stockinger but his post is very well written and right on target. I encourage everyone to give it a read.
UPDATE: 12/12/2007 10:46PM
JasonThe from The Sidetrack in the comments below:
Yes, it would be nice to say there were no blemishes on the history of the LDS faith, or any other religion for that matter. But there are. And there will be mistakes made today demanding an answer in the tomorrow. We are not perfect in our understanding, but I also believe that is an irrational expectation. Why must leaders of any faith respond to these accusations of the past with anything more than “Hey, we’re a flawed people, just like any people, doing our best to interpret and understand what we believe to be the word of God.”
Very well said.
Today Mitt Romney took advantage of the foolishness of those in the media who have been trying to make his religion a negative issue he needs to deal with. Truth be told there is nothing Romney could say in a speech that would mollify those who won’t vote for a Mormon. Instead of even trying to defend himself from attacks on his faith he crafted a well written attack on the tiny minority of Americans who are aggresively anti-religious. He didn’t bother to defend Mormonism and he got a huge amount of publicity for a speech that nearly every Republican primary voter can identify with. The press and Romney’s opponents may continue to try to use his religion against him but that doesn’t change the fact that Romney made very good use of this issue today in his “JFK style” speech.
I’ve never argued that Romney isn’t a very shrewd politician…in fact…I won’t vote for him because I think he’s too shrewd by half.
