Monthly Archives: November 2015

Mormons and Kids from Same-sex Marriages

On the heels of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ new policy regarding the children of same-sex married couples, a state judge ruled that a gay married couple were not fit parents because of their same-sex status. Ruling on the three-month old child’s foster care status, Seventh District Juvenile Court Judge Scott Johansen cited research indicating that children are worse off in the care of same-sex couples than in the care of heterosexual couples.

Of course the ruling has ignited a wildfire of protests across the nation. While this is a complicated issue, Judge Johansen is correct in his findings, even if politically incorrect in his ruling. But this problem is not Judge Johansen’s alone. The brunt of this problem sits at the feet of the Utah Legislature and the LDS Church. read more

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The state of the freedom movement in Utah

Constant introspection is healthy and politics seem to find ways to systemically avoid it or, worse, always project the bright side (usually the obligatorily optimistic side) of things. So, I ask, for all of the time and money spent to protect the cause of freedom in Utah, what do we have to show for it?

My educated guess is that freedom in Utah would be about where it is today even if groups like Strata Policy, Libertas Institute, Utah Taxpayers, Americans for Prosperity, Eagle Forum, Parents for Choice in Education and Sutherland Institute never existed. That guess is not (completely) a knock on the people involved. It’s a knock on their lack of collective vision and effective strategies. read more

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Who is Conservative Any More?

The election of Paul Ryan as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives should be a case study for the Utah Republican Party. Ryan is a principled and effective conservative leader who gained the wrath of the crazies in his own party. And that reminds me of Utah Republican politics!

What more could conservative activists ask for than a principled and effective conservative leader? Someone more conservative? Someone more principled? In Paul Ryan’s case, is there really someone in the House Freedom Caucus more conservative, more principled and more effective than Paul Ryan? But I could ask the same question about Governor Gary Herbert – Is there any Republican in the state more conservative, more principled and more effective than Gary Herbert? The short answer is no. read more

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