A few miles from my house, a mentally ill man forced an evacuation of an elementary school , claiming he had a truck full of explosives. The school evacuated with no casualties or problems and, as of this writing, the perpetrator was in custody. In New York over the weekend, a bomb was set off in Chelsea, leading to a manhunt that has already been resolved . Stabbings in Minnesota . Yet another cop-related shooting, this time in Oklahoma . This is the news of the last twenty-four hours. It can be hard at times like this to declare, unequivocally (also with hyperbole), that this it has never been worse in this country. As a history teacher, it's hard not to want to raise my hand, clear my throat, and say, albeit timidly, "That's not true." The hard part isn't looking into the history books for the evidence. It's feeling as though the data aren't skewed. Anyone can look up the information. In the last two decades alone, FBI statistics show a st...
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What flabbergasted me was the outcome of Utah's electoral vote in the last election, which I'm assuming was directly based on the popular vote. Republican, as always--why should I be surprised? Well, the majority of latter-day saints voted for John McCain, that's why. A non-progressive pro-war corporate monstrosity who played his campaign with no due respect to his opponent. But that's not the reason I'm shocked that people in Utah would vote for him.
If you ask any LDS voter "Would you say that personal morals in a candidate plays a huge part in who you vote for?" they would not hesitate to say yes. So why is it then, that so many saints voted for someone who's committed numerous adulterous acts in his lifetime? Returning home after being a POW, McCain discovered that his current sweetheart had become physically handicapped. Not only had he cheated on her before, but at the very sight of her being in a wheelchair, he left her. Even with his current wife, he's had a number of affairs. On the other hand, Obama is a very devoted husband and father. Now, I personally don't think that personal morals matters when choosing a leader, but the point is that Utah does. The only reason I can think of that a Utahn voter would choose an adulterer over a man like Obama is because the adulterer is Republican. I would tell you what my dad thinks about Obama's lack of approval in our community, but I'd imagine it would be very offensive.
I totally hear you guys. That's part of the reason that I put the shirt up, because it IS so true. It isn't, as Matt noted, simply a malady of Utah—it's a disease that affects everyone, it seems. The hypocrisy of the politicians (I can't just say GOP, even though they're having a rough time of it now) is really irking me.
As for WHY this is, I think a lot of it has to do with complacency—it's much easier to go with the crowd rather than stand up for what you personally believe.
When it came to the election last year, I was in a quandary. McCain made 0 sense on a number of economic and educational issues (one of his bright ideas: Forgo any licensure requirements for war veterans; let them return and become teachers sans training. Little surprise I wasn't a fan). Obama made 0 sense on a number of social issues that I simply don't agree with. In the end, I voted for Obama, though that isn't perfectly true, since Utah (as Stephen noted) voted for McCain. My vote did not help to put Obama in the White House.
One last note: Both of you guys should check out politicalcompass.org. It's a website that provides a very interesting look at one's political scale. It is designed to push your buttons on certain topics, so be aware of that. Let me know what your positions are according to the compass; I think you'll be surprised. Oh, and Stephen, I am neither horribly disappointed nor very impressed with my choice for president. I trust someone like you to give a logical reason for spouting out any sort of polemic speech, so feel free to lambaste.