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No Kings Protests
Today, we witnessed thousands of people marching peacefully, respectfully and with purpose in downtown Salt Lake City. That unity and care for one another reflects the heart of our city.
Money Talks
Like most others in the U.S., I'm in the struggling middle class. And like most in this category, I can't fully realize what I would do with gobs of money.
"Swear It"/"Grand Old Flags"
May 22 Soap Box/May 15 Hits & Misses
I have been getting neck strain from my headshaking bewilderment caused by the absurdity of Brendan Ryan's adoration of swearing, especially "f--k" and its derivatives. This letter could only have come from a devoted member of the un-intelligentsia who had a very limited opportunity to learn meaningful communication.
Swear It
In The Better Angels of Our Nature, Steven Pinker suggests that the very essence of language is warning. From the first grunts of our ancestors, words became tools to signal threats, convey dangers and bind groups together through a shared understanding.
"One for the Books,"
May 8 Cover Story
Kudos to Wes Long for attempting to write the history of indie bookselling in Salt Lake City. Of course, that can't be done in two pages!
Tooth Decay
I think it's curious that Gov. Spencer Cox is supposedly for strong family values, but against children having strong teeth. Research going back to the 1950s shows fluoride in the water system helps prevent tooth decay—especially for children.
"Media Play," April 24 Opinion
I liked Wes Long's column about American journalism. The problem is connected to the general economic reality of the common people.
Freer Trade
Many of my friends and acquaintances disagree with Donald Trump's "trade war" antics. His constant, inexplicable flip-flops and 180-degree turns make them nervous, and they can see that his unconstitutional tariff policy (the Constitution gives only Congress the power to tax) is already costing them money.
"Tesla Terrorism,"
March 27 Hits & Misses
I had to re-read Katharine Biele's "Tesla Terrorism" bit to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Just when I thought liberals—and I used to be one, when they were sane—couldn't get more frightening, here they are openly cheering on violence.Smashing Tesla dealerships?
"Dust to Dust," March 20 News
So weird that people are much more comfortable with the "traditional" method of pumping bodies full of chemicals and trapping them eternally in underground boxes than they are with the "radical" method of letting them biodegrade and return to the earth. DOUG SMEATH-LIVAS
Via Facebook
Free Will Astrology
Love your publication, but would you consider having meaningful astrology updates in your publications—or at minimum would you accept input and additions to the astrology notes? As it is, the paragraphs written for each zodiac sign are just fluff and info on a variety of obscure topics.
Qualified Immunity
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees "equal protection of the laws," a principle fundamental to American democracy. Yet, qualified immunity—a judicially created doctrine shielding public officials from liability—stands in direct contradiction to this promise.
Mightier than the Sword
In mid-February, the White House barred Associated Press journalists from presidential events for refusing to change the name of a body of water from "the Gulf of Mexico" to "the Gulf of America" in its reporting. AP sued on various grounds, including due process (citing a court ruling that press access to the White House "undoubtedly qualifies as liberty which may not be denied without due process of law under the fifth amendment") and First Amendment protections (citing the same ruling).
