Food Fail
Oh gee, it's just too hard, whines our state government. No, we don't want that $50 million in federal aid to feed hungry kids because the paperwork is really tough, and we don't have enough time to get things right, notes The Salt Lake Tribune. The better idea is to let those kids go hungry. The Census reports that a third of Utah households aren't getting enough to eat and one in eight are getting free food from pantries. Shouldn't their parents—or single parent—be pulling themselves up by the bootstraps instead of depending on the socialist economy? Rip off your damned mask and get to work, you slackers. Maybe your kids could start a lemonade stand, or a GoFundMe campaign. You know what Ronald Reagan said: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Indeed, the government isn't here to help anymore. Suck it.
Gubernatorial Switch
Oh, the angst and the strategizing. What Michigan Radio calls "Operation Chaos" is alive and well in Utah. Democrats and independents are switching parties in hopes of influencing a primary election that typically parses Republican. Dems are posting that that they are holding their noses or in need of a shower—but are registering as Republicans and voting for Huntsman or Cox for governor. The question is, however, just what the strategy is. The thinking is that Red Utah will never elect a Democrat, and polls/regular people don't think former House Speaker Greg Hughes has a chance. Huntsman is running social media ads encouraging the switch. Grassroots organization Salt Lake Indivisible has a list of rationales. But will there be enough switching to tip the election, and will they all vote in concert for the same candidate, or will it split the vote and give Hughes the win? Former Sen. Jim Dabakis and former BLM chief Pat Shea have both switched. In 1972, Democrats in Michigan went back to a caucus form of election when George Wallace won the primary there. Many Utah Republicans like that idea.
Get the Message?
It's too soon to claim victory after the racially charged Salt Lake and national protests of police killings, but they carried a strong message. No, they were not the peaceful protests of the Gandhi era, but people are saying enough. If you wonder how they should get the attention of government officials, ask them. It has not been for lack of trying. Black Lives Matter is only the most recent outgrowth of the anger. This time, there was massive collateral damage and many injuries. There were also racists and armed factions in the midst of the protesters. Young white men curiously smashing cars while young women gleefully took selfies. Then, following the protests, some 360 people signed up to help clean the mess. A curfew was put in place, protesters were scolded, and the president blamed Democrats and Antifa, which is an adjective for a movement, not an organization. While the community grapples with the fallout, the hope—again—is that change will come. In the Los Angeles Times, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar quoted poet Langston Hughes. "What happens to a dream deferred? /... Maybe it sags / like a heavy load. /Or does it explode?"