Mask Flak
So that's what Gary Herbert is scared of—the spit and bile of the mad anti-maskers, and their lawsuit. Let's start with The Salt Lake Tribune's coverage of 400 people gathered at the Capitol to rail against the governor's K-12 order—you know, the one to keep kids and their families safe from COVID-19? Nah, those kids have got to breathe. Here's what one commenter said: "I'm pretty sure that Herbert will succumb to the political pressure from the Karens and let the mask order for schools expire on Dec 31. Cox ... won't have the guts to institute a new one." The lawsuit was filed by former state Rep. Morgan Philpot, the right-wing go-to lawyer who also represented Ammon Bundy after the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. "The 46-page lawsuit cites the state and U.S. Constitution and Book of Mormon (a scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) as authority," Fox13 News reports. We are indeed the land of the free—as in, free from good sense.
Cutie Uproar
Everyone has sensibilities these days, and they want you to have them, too. Of course, they want you to have their sense of sensibility. Utah Sen. Mike Lee is shocked, just shocked, that Netflix is showing Cuties. Before you understand the political ire, you need to think back on Hillary Clinton and her alleged pizza parlor sex business. "Calls to remove the film have been amplified by supporters of a conspiracy theory that top Democrats and celebrities are behind a global child trafficking ring," the "failing" New York Times wrote. BTW, Lee is also upset about social media's liberal bias, despite the lack of evidence. But Cuties, from film director Maïmouna Doucouré, has a message for American culture and its moralistic parents: "The more sexualized a woman appears on social media, the more girls will perceive her as successful." It's the best PR a film could hope for.
Rape Kits Caught Up
Five years ago, 2,000 rape kits sat idle and untested in the state. Kits used to sit on the shelf for years before being tested, according to a Salt Lake Tribune report. Now it's more like 90 days, with a plan to reduce that to 30 days. "Since 2015, 11,193 sexual-assault kits in Utah have been tested, according to data from the crime lab," the Trib reported. "This has led to 5,025 forensic DNA profiles being entered into a national database and 1,979 suspects being identified." That's a big deal if you consider rape to be a human rights issue. Thank Rep. Angela Romero, D-Salt Lake, for pushing ahead with a law that is not just about rape, but women's rights and a commitment to punishing the perpetrators.
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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