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Show :-T,-W-- —!"T- mion The College Times MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2007 • ;!r, - 1)1 •i Mormons should judge Reid by faith, not politics Dave Gitlespte Opinions contributor It is ironic the way Mitt Romney and Harry Reid are represented in the Mormon faith. On one hand, you have the ever-loveable Mitt. Good looking, charming and most importantly, Republican-the kind of guy Saints like...no, love to proclaim as one of their own. But on the other hand, you have the redheaded step child Reid. You see, "Dingy Reid" as "Bro. Limbaugh" refers to him, isn't even close to good looking, not very charming (see latest quote on President Bush, Republicans, Evangelicals etc.) and worst of all (get ready to scream!) a...Democrat. Unfortunately, the prob- lem Latter-day Saints and even this writer face, as a result of Harry Reid proclaiming himself as a Mormon-Democrat is, we blur the lines between faith and politics. Such an attitude not only causes a haze to be put over the aforementioned lines, but results in one obtaining the belief that political stance affects ones eventual eternal standing with God. Reid's recent address at BYU should thwart such a deceiving thought. A couple of weeks ago, the Senate Majority Leader came to BYU for a forum speech in which he did two things, one of which was typical for a politician, the second of which wasn't so characteristic. First, he bashed on Presi- lama Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it -Harry Reid 4 dent Bush, the Iraq War and Evangelical Christians from the far right, calling them the "most anti-Christian people I can imagine." Second, he declared his faith much in the same way he states his views on politics, with feeling. "I have a testimony of God, his son Jesus and the restored gospel, now led by the Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley," he declared. But that isn't all; he told of his boy's missions, his daughter's temple marriages and his reason for being a Dem-, ocrat. "I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it." ., Consequently, because Mormonism's conservative majority, active members tend to put off such statements from one such as Reid. Or as one opinion letter to the Deseret Morning News stated, he "is two different people," in other words, a hypocrite. But if Harry Reid is two-faced because he is a. Democrat who declares his faith with pride, what does that make Mitt Romney who seems to avert such topics and stay silent? A denier of the faith? When it comes to faith, I'll take Dingy Reid. • ; / / . . - ! M • •'* •if.1 J. J "I .it STOWING GROUNP An assistant coach for Viewmont High School's football team found himself riding the bench of a Utah County courtroom last week after he stomped a ring-necked pheasant to death that had been released onto the American Fork High School football field during a game between the two schools. According to reports from The Doily Herald, Richard Layton, 47, claimed he lost his balance and stepped on the pheasant in an effort to capture the bird under his foot. Police who watched video of the event said Layton emphatically stomped the bird twice. Contacts from the Division of Wildlife told The Daily Herald that along with cruelty charges, Layton may also be charged with a poaching violation because pheasant season does not start until Nov. 6, and stomping is not an approved method of hunting upland game birds. 01 Dude, don't you know it's not football player season for another week? Hey wan, I slipped and acc/denta//y$[\t his throat with my beak. -if Illustration by Nate Wilson & Jared Maglll Letters to the editor "The usual victimization mentality" To the editor, I feel a need to reply to an editorial article that was posted in the Opinions section of the Oct. 22 College Times. The titled "Incriminated by our Culture," by Eleanor Cleverly-Takahashi caught my attention as I am particularly interested in discussions on firearms in our culture, and I have to say the article was laughable. All political leanings aside, I largely agree with her statement of the obsession with violence in our culture, this is true and unfortunate. However, the article went way off track in the last two paragraphs by her biased, unfair, and emotionally driven association with gun violence to the war in Iraq. I pose this question to Mrs. Takahashi: was there no gun violence in this country before the; war started? It is' never acceptable to "desire the killing of police officers or US soldiers," and any rational person believes this to be true. However, I cannot fathom how you can reasonably associate such a desire and cultural problem with the war in Iraq, especially by saying the oval office is "telling us it's okay." To be totally fair, using I pose this question: WQS there no gun violence in this country before the wqr started?/ i your reasoning, the shootings in Jonesboro, Arkansas, Paducah, Kentucky, and Columbine were a result of Bill Clinton taking us to war in Bosnia in 1995, correct? I wonder if Mrs. Takahashi would have made the same association had she been in the position she is now during Clinton's administration. Also I take issue with the reference to Kiddus Yo- hannes as a "silent victim." What exactly is he a victim of? A victim of having to live by rules that we all have to follow in an organized and safe society? Poor Kiddus, must be so hard to conform. I realize that the liberal approach is to blame society and all other factors for criminal behavior, rather than focus on personal responsibility for our actionsthe usual victimization mentality. I read the College Times regularly and realize that the newspaper is a platform for aspiring journalists and future movers and shakers to have a voice and develop their skills before they enter the world, as it should be. But in order to have any shred of legitimacy, there needs to be some sort of rational middle ground and less emotionally driven bias, or you will have no hope of any professional credibility. Adam Black "Ask God himself" To the editor, It seems these days that more and more foolish and easily duped young students are mistaking the banter of money hungry neo-conservative television and talk show hosts for coherent political thought. And in some particularly bad cases of gullibility, they mistake this useless banter for their own religious beliefs, or for "God's will." Apparently, my faith dictates that I become an automaton of the American right, that I do whatever the President says, and that God is a dictator. Apparently, God wants us to ignore things like roads and public schools and the health of 40 million of his children in order to finance an ambiguous and apparently unending war. I was unaware of all this. Last Sunday I voted, literally voted, for my support of a new teacher, right in the middle of sacrament meeting. A few weeks ago at conference, I voted to support the president of the church. Every book of scripture being printed by the LDS church was voted on by members of the church, as to whether it would be accepted as cannon. Every week, in the Salt Lake Temple, the Quorum of the Twelve votes on the decisions it makes. In fact, we do vote for, analyze and question many if not all of the decisions God makes. In fact, there is no other way to do it. I don't know what religion some of my more thoughtless and unobservant classmates have been following, but mine is thoroughly democratic, encourages critical thought, and recognizes that to unquestioningly accept what the extreme right wing tells them they should think about God (things like "God is a dictator," " God supports the war," "God wants you to obey the President") is like slapping God in the face. Perhaps they ought to study their scriptures. Or perhaps ask God himself. 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