Soap Box: March 9-15 

Cover story, March 9, "Unlocking the Box"
I'm so pleased to read that solitary confinement as punishment will not be used in Utah. Persons who have been subjected to it should be helped to recover.
Joan Thomas
Via Facebook

The only good prison is an empty one.
Bryan James Miller
Via Facebook

Horrible.
Joan Thomas
Via Facebook

Grand topic!
@urban.habitat
Via Instagram

Opinion, March 9, "Word by Word"
I think John Rasmuson is charmingly erudite. He's also funny as hell.

My favorite word is "Ohbabybabyyeah!" That's one word, incidentally. It beats awe-some, which is really two words with a ... hyphen in between.

My least favorite word is incentivize. Sounds like the Marine motto. I couldn't find it in the big, fat Webster's down at the library. I guess Gov. Gary invented it, kinda like deseret and lamanite (Warren Jeffs' nephew). ...

I coined a new word, "redunkulous" (redundant and ridiculous or incredulous). Kinda rolls off the tongue like "nickel-plated dildo." It describes Capitol Hill succinctly.

P.S. Two obscenities not mentioned: dickhead and Dick Cheney. They are interchangeable. Put 'em where the sun don't shine. Send 'em to Oregon!
Alan Wright,
Salt Lake City

Staff box, March 9, "What's your favorite word?"
Either facetious or abstemious.
@slcculture
Via Twitter

Music, March 9, "A Straight Dude's Favorite Gay Music"
You could have gotten an LGBT person to write this article.
Yele A. Omowale
Via Facebook

You had to pick the photo that depicts lesbianism directly from the male gaze?
Chelsea Bentley-Scott
Via Facebook

Blog, March 17, "Opponents of HB155 gather at Capitol to oppose drastic DUI bill" I think it was a waste of energy and will have negative unintended consequences in areas like tourism. If the goal is to decrease drinking and driving, a better focus would be providing better public transit. More east-west lines on the train would work wonders for the area, while simultaneously helping to solve many other problems, such as our poor air quality.
Lisa Wessells
Via Facebook

Utah is on the cutting edge of the effort to turn this country into a theocracy.
@nabatean92
Via Twitter

.05 is too drastic. At $10K a pop for DUIs, politicians are getting out of control with spending.
James Dubin Jr.
Via Facebook

Alcohol kills people.
Albert Carter
Via Facebook

We're tired of this shit! Cancer kills people. Life is a risk. Get over it. Until we can address the fact that we ALL sin, it is up to the Almighty when our time comes.
Robyn Howard Sheriff
Via Facebook

Mormon propaganda aimed at controlling non-members and members alike. Welcome to Utah, where the separation of church and state is as non-existent as a dodo bird.
Dominick Caputo
Via Facebook

Culture war casualty.
Bryan Orvis
Via Facebook

You may not agree with him all the time @UtahGOP and @GovHerbert, but this bill will hurt tourism and restaurants.
@AverageVery
Via Twitter

If only they could refuse service to members of the Utah Legislature.
Gus Toulatos
Via Facebook

My health care, my choice
Republicans are hurting common, ordinary folks and the handicapped. What kind of country do we live in? We have one dictator—Trump!
Catherine Thorpe,
Salt Lake City

Bad business
I voted for Donald Trump because I believe in his vision of reviving the economy and restoring hope for American working families. The Border Adjustment Tax (BAT) is not a path to that vision.

The BAT will become a sales tax on consumers that won't be limited to luxury goods. It will hit every consumer's wallet by increasing the cost of our daily necessities, including groceries, fuel and clothing. Utah is full of innovative entrepreneurs building businesses that are creating jobs and becoming a strength of our economy. BAT will affect retailers including Utah's local businesses that rely on the global marketplace to keep their doors open and hire employees.

America First isn't about picking winners and losers in the marketplace or burdening consumers with higher prices. I urge Senator Hatch to make the right decision to protect jobs and the middle-class and oppose the Border Adjustment Tax.
Ryan Easton,
West Jordan