“I do think that Rocky is being an ass,” said an acquaintance, “I mean its the President and here Rocky is dissing him. Whoever you are you should at least respect the President.”
Comments like this are quite common around here. I’ve become acutely aware over the past five years of just how pervasive the herd mentality has become in this state. It is not surprising however, given that the majority of people in Utah have been taught since birth that they should give blind allegiance to their religious leaders, and not question the decisions they make. They are guided by the hand of God, and will not lead you astray, or so goes the saying. Unfortunately this same fanatical devotion to religious leaders has spilled over to other areas of life, including political and social beliefs. Most people in Utah today are not very stressed about politics, they are not stressed about the Iraq war, they are not stressed about who to vote for and do not really even care what their positions are as long as the candidate is Republican (and hopefully a faithful LDS church member). Their blindness leads them to believe that whoever is elected will lead them in the right direction, and that they should be allowed to do whatever they want since they are somehow guided by God to make their lives happy.
I am of course not speaking of all Utahns, there are actually a great number of very rational and intelligent people in this state who are extremely concerned about their environment, their state, their nation, and the planet as a whole. These people are the hope for the future, the only hope this state has of breaking the trance that overwhelmingly traps those unwilling to look beyond their nose.
Those who largely fall into this blind herd category are those of the LDS faith, and those with poor education. I’m not saying that all mormons are uneducated, there are some very well educated LDS people with advanced degrees and those who make a lot of money. The common denominator for the two groups however is that both are hesitant to look at the issues without their distortion glasses on. They cannot conceive of a world where issues are not black and white – everything is clearly defined as good or bad. They perceive the republican party as good, and therefore everything and anything that questions the tenets of that religion are evil.
The following is a perfect example of this:
Rocky Anderson, the mayor of Salt Lake City, led an anti-war protest on the day of President Bush’s arrival in the state today. He was lambasted by every republican leader for being un-patriotic and irresponsible for his decision to say anything negative about our beloved President while he is a guest of the state. They decried the lack of manners, the rudeness, the gall of the man who they view as an evil terrorist supporting agent. The hate they leveled at Mayor Anderson was of the same tone usually reserved for the types who kidnapped Elizabeth Smart. The real tragedy, and another sign of how easily the herd is led by the nose, is just how quick the general public was to latch onto those criticisms and take them to heart. Never mind Rocky’s side of the story, it is not important, irrelevent to the fact that he is speaking out against one who is considered holy.
I say thank God for Rocky Anderson. Literally. His speech today, if anyone cared to actually listen, was one of the most patriotic and sincere speeches I’ve ever heard. He is one of the few in this state who sees the lies and deception in our government, who sees the patterns of tyrrany and is desperately trying to do something about it. I admire the man, and respect the work he has done over the past years in office. Those who would slander him and question his patriotism with propaganda and hype are the ones who should really examine their own patriotism and honor. They are the ones who blindly lead this country down to hell.
Wake up, think, look at the world, don’t be afraid to question. Because by doing nothing, by blindly following and trusting your leaders you are being led “like a calf to the slaughter.” It’s no wonder that President Bush enjoys the largest approval rating in Utah… he’s a republican, and he’s a “Christian”. It’s a no-brainer, right?