The Embarrassment of Hate

[Snow]

I haven't lived in Utah for 20 plus years but I still try to tune in to what's going on there.

Whenever I hear about a local politician, Chris Buttars, I am amazed that such an ugly and hateful and unintelligent continues to hold public office.

Buttars: Gays 'greatest threat to America' - Salt Lake Tribune

I shouldn't be amazed, I know. The world has it's share of such reprobates.

What is truly astounding however is that Buttars turns out to be LDS, lives in a predominantly LDS area and keeps getting re-elected by Mormons.

Sad, very sad.

[LittleWyvern]

Heh, the quotes in the article sound like they're straight out of fstdt. Sad indeed.

[pam]

I was just reading that article tonight Snow. It's downright embarrassing to admit that someone like that belongs to the same religion that I do. He for sure does not state the same thoughts I have being a member.

[Snow]

I was just reading that article tonight Snow. It's downright embarrassing to admit that someone like that belongs to the same religion that I do. He for sure does not state the same thoughts I have being a member.

One bad apple is understandable.

As I said earlier, the truly sad thing is that others who are, ostensibly, LDS, knowing who and what the guy is, continue to re-elect him

[Maxel]

I give the guy '0' for tact, and '3' for understanding the legal implications of LDS doctrine (on a scale of 0-5).

I actually don't disagree with the bulk of what he said on the GLBT issue- it's the manner in which he said it that makes me want to tear out my hair and rent my clothes. His comparison of gay rights supporters to Muslim radicals and how he boasted about killing gay rights bills are the worst examples of misconstrued doctrine, IMO.

And, the comment about a complex bill he disliked being a 'black baby'... *headdesk* Here's hoping Buttars doesn't get reelected... again.

[pam]

Let him come to this site and see how long he's a member before getting banned.

[Moksha]

If Utah had a two party system, the good citizens of West Jordan would not be stuck with Chris Buttars.

[FunkyTown]

Hahah. That's a classic Utah burn, Moksha.

[cofchristcousin]

Buttars, combined with the Utah legislature voting down the gay inheritance and visitation bills severely compromises the credibility that LDS are not anti-gay, just concerned about the redefinition of the word marriage.

[Hemidakota]

I haven't lived in Utah for 20 plus years but I still try to tune in to what's going on there.

Whenever I hear about a local politician, Chris Buttars, I am amazed that such an ugly and hateful and unintelligent continues to hold public office.

Buttars: Gays 'greatest threat to America' - Salt Lake Tribune

I shouldn't be amazed, I know. The world has it's share of such reprobates.

What is truly astounding however is that Buttars turns out to be LDS, lives in a predominantly LDS area and keeps getting re-elected by Mormons.

Sad, very sad.

Apathy? Snow, where have you been lately? I missed your postings.

[talisyn]

Wouldn't it be insanely funny if Chris Buttars was right? I'm not saying he is, I just wanted to explode my mind a little bit.

[Just_A_Guy]

Buttars, combined with the Utah legislature voting down the gay inheritance and visitation bills . . .

Technically, it wasn't the entire legislature. The bills died in committee. But yes, I agree with your overall point.

If Utah had a two party system, the good citizens of West Jordan would not be stuck with Chris Buttars.

What you're ultimately saying is, "If Utah didn't have so many people who vote for Chris Buttars, Chris Buttars wouldn't keep getting elected". :)

What bewilders me is that Buttars' district holds a large concentration of non-Anglos. How does he do it?

[RachelleDrew]

I almost vomited when I hear about his "darky" comments not long ago. This just takes the cake, every word that comes out of that man's mouth is vile.

I wonder what kind of messed up childhood he must of had to become such a hateful person. As much as I would love to hate him, I just severely pity him. How awful would it be to wake up every morning with so much venom?

[Moksha]

I almost vomited when I hear about his "darky" comments not long ago. This just takes the cake, every word that comes out of that man's mouth is vile.

I wonder what kind of messed up childhood he must of had to become such a hateful person. As much as I would love to hate him, I just severely pity him. How awful would it be to wake up every morning with so much venom?

Hey Rachelle, I came across a website that described life at the Utah Boys Ranch under Chris Buttars. Made me want to shake my fists in rage.

[Just_A_Guy]

I've seen it too, Moksha, but the saying "don't believe everything you see on the internet" comes to mind.

These places are supervised by state agencies, which (unlike internet webmasters) cannot perpetuate counterfactual allegations just because they happen to dislike the conservative Mormons who run the place.

[Snow]

Apathy? Snow, where have you been lately? I missed your postings.

Hi Hemidakota,

I've been around but spending more time studying instead of posting. I miss ya'll as well.

[LittleWyvern]

Hey Rachelle, I came across a website that described life at the Utah Boys Ranch under Chris Buttars. Made me want to shake my fists in rage.

Oh man, I just read the Kos post on the subject yesterday. That place needs to be shut down immediately.

[jolee65]

You can think or even feel ,it but saying it in a public forum is stupid.

[cofchristcousin]

An honest question: If thinking it and feeling it are ok, but saying it in public is considered hate, when does it become hate? To Jesus, just thinking something was considered doing it.

[FunkyTown]

An honest question: If thinking it and feeling it are ok, but saying it in public is considered hate, when does it become hate? To Jesus, just thinking something was considered doing it.

"The right to swing my fist ends where another man's nose begins".

While someone thinking something like this is disappointing, I recognize that people are inherently flawed. They think things that make them less than perfect. I admit that I certainly have thoughts that are less than Christ-like. I recognize that it takes away from who I am as a person.

But if a person's thoughts are troubled and wrong, but their actions don't follow through, it is his/her burden alone. If the act spills over to affect another, it suddenly becomes the worlds burden.

Honestly, I support free speech. It makes it easy to spot the crazies. My only concern is that people might consider this lone person to represent the church.

[Just_A_Guy]

from his post as chair of the Utah Senate Judiciary Committee. See here.

Frankly, this is long overdue. About three years ago, Buttars wrote a letter to a Provo judge trying to bully the judge into issuing a verdict favorable to one of Buttars' big donors.

I'm not convinced Buttars is getting a fair deal regarding his recent comments (I haven't followed the issue closely, but the Trib's reporting in particular seems to be cherry-picking quotes without providing context); but even so the guy's as crooked as they come (by Utah standards, anyways). I'm glad he's no longer in a position to influence our state judiciary.

Edited February 20, 2009 by Just_A_Guy

[Snow]

An honest question: If thinking it and feeling it are ok, but saying it in public is considered hate, when does it become hate? To Jesus, just thinking something was considered doing it.

I doubt it.

I doubt that Christ really thinks that thinking about adultery was actually the same as committing adultery.

Neither does the Church. Go confess to your Bishop that you thought about adultery and see what happens - nothing, except maybe he'll tell you to stop doing that. Now go confess that you actually did commit adultery and then compare the consequences.

[skalenfehl]

Nothing that is created physically is or wasn't first conceived of in spirit; us, trees, animals, the earth, all of creation. The same goes for anything that we create, whether buildings, lamps, tables, whatever. They are first conceived of in the mind. So are our actions. It is the natural man that conceives of evil things and to entertain those thoughts is the sin. Hence the reason Christ said that he who lusts after a woman has committed adultery in his heart. There's a difference between the thought entering your mind and you entertaining that thought. That's one of the differences between a saint and a sinner.

[Snow]

Buttars broke his deal, says senator - Salt Lake Tribune

"Most of what Senator Buttars said, I agree with," Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said in a weekly Red Meat Radio program he hosts on K-TALK."

"I think the bulk of people in Utah agree with 90 percent of what he said," Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, said on Stephenson's radio show."

Having lives in Utah I can say from experience that 90 percent of Utahans are not ignorant buffoons.

[pam]

Buttars broke his deal, says senator - Salt Lake Tribune

"Most of what Senator Buttars said, I agree with," Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, said in a weekly Red Meat Radio program he hosts on K-TALK."

"I think the bulk of people in Utah agree with 90 percent of what he said," Sen. Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan, said on Stephenson's radio show."

Having lives in Utah I can say from experience that 90 percent of Utahans are not ignorant buffoons.

Actually Snow,it doesn't say that 90 percent of Utahns agree, it says the bulk of the people agree with 90% of what he said. I just hate having someone speak for me and can say I'm not in the bulk of those people. I didn't like the comments that he made.