A More Perfect Union
It's a rare day when progressives hail anything that U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart says, but there's always that one time. "I believe it's self-evident that we shouldn't be honoring those who seceded and voluntarily waged war against the United States. The U.S. Capitol should be reserved for pieces of art that inspire and unite," he recently said in response to the removal of Confederate statues from the Capitol. He's been consistent on removal since the death of George Floyd last year. On the other hand, Stewart had said he wouldn't vote to certify the presidential election and he didn't like the bipartisan commission to investigate the insurrection because, heck, the Democrats were in charge. That's what you'd expect in this highly charged partisan environment. Still, you have to give him props for opposing the Confederacy of yesteryear, even though he can't recognize its revival in the Jan. 6 Capitol uprising.
Mile Markers
It's not that off-road recreationists are bad actors, but their vehicles are not the friendliest additions to wildlife and wilderness. Never mind that off-roaders already have plenty of roads and lands for camping—they want it all. The off-roading advocacy group Blue Ribbon Coalition has its panties in a bunch over the Bureau of Land Management's plans to close off 50 miles of road in San Juan County, KUER reports. Policy director Ben Burr says most off-roaders don't even know they'll be affected. That's probably because it's unlikely they will be. The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance notes that there are 200-plus miles of routes they could use within the Canyon Rim management area. But Blue Ribbon needs to justify its existence by keeping up the pressure. The Idaho-based group is also fighting off-road bans in Moab, plans for the San Rafael Desert and much, much more.
Critical Errors
State GOP Chairman Carson Jorgensen can't wait to meet Donovan Mitchell, not because he likes basketball or because he wants to persuade Mitchell to stay in Utah. No, it's because he wants to talk Critical Race Theory with the Jazz player, who said he'd like to talk to our clueless legislators about CRT—or maybe their strange perception of what it is—the Salt Lake Tribune reports. Mitchell, by virtue of his race, has a unique understanding of the issue, which the very white-male Mormon sixth-generation Utah rancher—and non-legislator—might not. Coming from Mount Pleasant with its 94% white population, it's likely Jorgensen doesn't run into a lot of African Americans, as they account for just 0.29% of his city's population. Jorgensen doesn't want his kids taught CRT in school, although it's not and won't be. Maybe Mitchell can convince him that teaching his kids critical thinking is a good thing.
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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