Let's get this out of the way: State Sen. Chris Buttars has the right to say anything he wants. His annual diatribes may be hateful and cockeyed— but at least we know what he's thinking, right?
And, apparently, Buttars gives us a window into what most of our lawmakers are thinking, too. Buttars says gays are the "greatest threat to America," like radical Muslims, but worse even, because they lack morals and want special rights.
Senate President Mike Waddoups assured us the Senate stands "four square" behind Buttars.
He is a senator who represents the point of view of many of his constituents and many of ours. We agree with many of the things he said.
Waddoups refused to be nailed down on exactly where GOP senators agree with Buttars. Was it the Sodom and Gomorrah stuff, that gay families are abominations, or the "pig sex" craziness that Buttars blurted out on tape?
Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper says the Senate didn't have a problem with what Buttars said, but took his committee seats away because he broke his promise to shut the hell up it on gay issues:Most of what Senator Buttars said, I agree with. We as a Senate caucus had an agreement that because Sen. Buttars had become such a lightning rod on this issue, he would not be the spokesman on this issue, and basically he violated that agreement.
Many readers came unglued when Tribune columnist Rebecca Walsh compared Buttars to Alabama's George Wallace. But Georgia's Lester Maddox, who handed out ax handles for his customers to use on black civil rights activits, is a better comparison. Maddox was pencil-necked loser who Southern racism a face. Buttars has similarly positioned himself the national poster boy for "Utah values" and even the LDS church is backing away from him.
This is a good time for Buttars to ponder what Lyndon Johnson told Wallace about the future:
You and me, we’ll be dead and gone, then, George. What do you want left after you, when you die? Do you want a great big marble monument that reads, ‘George Wallace: He Built.’ Or do you want a little piece of pine board lying across that harsh caliche soil that reads, ‘George Wallace: He Hated.'
11 Comments:
If Butters were not a member of the senate, I'd agree that he'd have the right to say and believe anything he wants. But, since he is a member of the senate and is a representative of the state his rights are different.
None of us would believe that the state would have a right to opinions like Butters expressed. The reason we wouldn't want the state to express such opinions is because the state would have the power to do something about it. None of us would want the state taking the rights of one group of people and trashing them.
So Butters, as a representative of the state, doesn't have the right to express his hate for one (or in his case many) group of people who he doesn't like.
If he were to resign, then he'd have the right to say what he wanted but I'm afraid he won't resign because then he wouldn't have a platform to speak from.
I think the thing he doesn't really understand (nor the republican legislatures that support him) is the more he speaks his mind, the more people in the state equate his craziness with the values of the institutions he's a part of, either the LDS church or the Utah Legislature.
I think the George Wallace/Lester Maddox/Bull Connors comparisons are spot on. Buttars, and apparently Waddoups and Stephenson and all of their ilk are like roaches, they are fine scuttling around in the dark of their bigotry but when you shine a light on them, they don't like it. And I'm glad Buttars is still in the Senate and now on the national news. Anything to show normal people the underlying hate that pollutes the culture in this this state is fine with me; that's the only way it's going to change.
I'm surprised nobody blames his constituents for this. He is representing _them_. The people of his district kept him in office. Why are the people of West Jordan not held accountable for supporting this guy? Buttars is a symptom of a much bigger problem.
I was amused to read Howard Stephenson's comments from his radio show. What is the difference, exactly, between his version of Buttars' "breaking his promise" and what Waddoups did? Either way, Buttars went too far (and long ago) with his hateful blather. Guess everyone has to get their own little piece of the pie, though, including that windbag and ethically challenged Stephenson.
The whole chapter on Buttars and how his mealy-mouthed colleagues can't come out and just strip the guy bare is plain pathetic. Cowards, all of them. They make me ill.
Buttars, Waddoups and recently Stephenson(State Senators)all seemingly fashion themselves as princes of prudence and high morality. In many corners though they are dullards of darkness "checking in on Alice" as they daily dip into the rabbit hole. I'm not part of the gay/les crowd - just a citizen spectator that understands that "nature" puts some folk where they are at and accepts that diversity is increasingly part of the American way. To daily toss though, the bonfire of infirmities at "these folk" is not productive and assists not the identity or reputation of our legislature or state.
Morality is NOT hate. Can we just agree to disagree. To practice homosexuality is immoral, but we hate no one. Honestly....
I recieved emails back from my senator, a republican, who denounces Buttars. I am sure there are others who find his comments deplorable. I also think this will benefit the Democratic party next time. I beleive all people with morals take of offense at the comments and offense at the response of senate leadership. To stand "four-square behind" such comments should be a wake-up call to voters around the state.
This has never been about free speech. Buttars is free to say anything he wants. I want him to say more.
I want him to hold a press conference and answer questions from his constituents and the other citizens of the State of Utah, whom he represents as a Utah State Senator.
I want to hear him speak at length on gay rights, religion, evolution, morality, science, philosophy, everything. I want his views to be made known to every voter in this state, and then I want every other Senator on Capitol Hill to spell out where they agree or disagree with Buttars.
If anything, we have not been hearing enough speech from Buttars. It seems like we only get a true glimps into his thinking when his guard is down or his filter is turned off.
"Morality is not hate" Well it is when you pass judgement on others, that is not your job or anyone I have met in this life. By the way this is not about morality it is about rights. You know the ones that say all men are created equel. This is not about religion, it is a civil matter. We should all share the burden of equality. Equel to love, to hate, to be sad, to be happy.
I too agree do not stop them from talking, I would like all to see the ignorance & bigotry that flourished in UT.
Uh, no. I believe that the LDS lifestyle is immoral. Further, I think it costs the taxpaying Utahn more than it's worth. Mormons are stupid, intellectually lazy and sponge off of welfare. Buttars is simply the spokesmodel for the mentally retarded mormon community which includes, to be frank, all of you.
I'm glad he said what he did. I'm glad that Fox News relentlessly reports it, and that it reports America Forever and Gayle Ruzicka all together. This is the only way for the rest of the world to know what we have to put up with in Utah.
The only good mormon is an ex mormon.
Everyone does have a right to an opinion and the opinions flying around in Utah, the legislature and now the national media all have their crowds of silent believers and the confused majority between them.
However,we should not be surprised when people respond to opinions so hatefully spewed by hatefully spewing back and/or shining media attention on it. Outrageously hateful opinions call beg for it. Keep on going Buttars, Eagle Forum, the right-wing homo haters that protest against Gay Pride and LDS conference and the good ol' boys that back them all up; just don't be surprised when people respond as they have a right to with same in kind,vote you out of office, sue you, boycott Utah etc. It is only because of the tolerance and the charity shown by the gay community and straight progressives in Utah that we haven't had violence and more ugliness already. We who live here among you try to temper and moderate the reactions locally to keep the peace, but at some point the we will either get fed up or not be able to keep the rest of the nation from coming here in bus loads to unleash their outrage.
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