Yes, Polls Work 

Yes, Polls Work
In Dale Curtis’ letter “Poll Puzzle” [Oct. 30, City Weekly] he asks of polls, “Are they simply a menace, or an accurate political and public tool?”

I would suggest that another question be added to his query: “Can the poll itself change a voter’s mind?” I write this because in my case it did. I received a poll call from an incumbent mayor who shall remain nameless. I believed it was my civic duty to participate, so I did. A half-hour later, I was moved from “I will vote for him” to “Screw this guy.”

This thing could easily have been half as long as it was, but the kicker was the questions they saved for last because they knew they would get hung up on. Asking me what religion I am pissed me off. Asking me how many times a week I go to church sealed the deal.

Save your breath, those of you who are ready to chime in with “These are standard poll questions” and “The polling company is staffed by volunteers and funded by nonpartisan contributions or whatever and that they don’t really work for the mayor.” I don’t care.

One of the worst things an elected official can do is state that they do not know about or control what their underlings are doing. So don’t try that on me with the poll thing, because it is not going to work.

Steve White
Salt Lake City

Who the What?
In what alternate reality would Anita Sarkeesian be worthy of a mention in an AP U.S. History class [“Teach Me Liberty,” Oct. 23, City Weekly]?

A blogger? Are you kidding me? Did she bump Al Sharpton from the syllabus? Hopefully, teaching them to think critically includes the ability to recognize leftist claptrap when they see it.

I challenge Ms. Lauritzen to ask her enlightened students which party fought for the Civil Rights Act and which party filibustered it. What was the party affiliation of the governor who fought school integration?

Remember: Don’t fear teaching them the truth—and the means to explain why—to avoid being a failure.

Dave Cloes
Herriman

Weird Obsessions
Did you know that porn is a “new drug” that is shrinking and damaging the brains of those who view it, especially the young? Porn has been made and viewed for sexual stimulation for as long as the human species has existed. It is not any kind of “new drug.” Watching ridiculous Mormon church propaganda “news” profiling pseudo-independent nonprofits controlled by the church is shrinking and damaging the brains of those who view it more than porn ever could.

Utah has had for a long time one of the highest per-capita consumption rates of both straight and gay porn in the country. As in the religious conservative South, the LDS Church’s perverted obsession with and hysterical oppression of natural and healthy sexual behavior is what creates an individual’s propensity for lots of types of sexual addiction, including an addiction to porn.

Stuart McDonald
Salt Lake City

Corrections & Clarifications: The opinion piece “Get in the Game” [Oct. 30, City Weekly] incorrectly stated the district number of a competitive legislative race in West Valley City. Republican Fred Cox and Democrat Michael D. Lee were running in District 30.

“Failure to Respond” [Oct. 30, City Weekly] noted that the Utah Republican Party advised candidates against taking part in debates hosted by the Alliance for a Better Utah. The party later changed that position.