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Show OPINIONS 02.01.2010 Gorrecti&nary How to avoid word murder, w DAVID SELF NEWUN Opinions editor A much talked about film. premiered this week at the Sundance film festival, detailing the Mormon church's involvement in the passing of Proposition 8 in California. The proposition amended the state's constitution to define marriage as between a man and a woman. The effect of "8: The Mormon Proposition" in Utah has been, in a way, exactly what might have been expected: Most people just don't •care. Many Mormon • church members here may not care about this film because they got what they wanted - the stalling and even reduction of rights for the LGBT community. "8: The Mormon Proposition" is just an afterthought and a critique of that victory. They should care, though. Often, religious organizations get a pass on criticism of their activities simply because they are, in fact, religious organizations, and for no other reason. No one wants to criticize the beliefs of someone else and be painted as a bigot or a godless IJHIUPI. BUt, ,^.T, •: . . inrusfilm is accurate, •thefr there are some real criticisms that deserve to be mounted against the state's, and this school's, hegemonic faith, and they should be-just as with so many other nonreligious bodies like corporations, schools, or governments. The LDS church has denounced the film as being biased, lacking in truth, and said it does not further the necessary and real debate about this issue. This is strange, since it is the first feature-length film to address the issue at all, meaning it could actually be the starting point of the debate. Of course it has an agenda, as any participant in a robust debate should have - being called biased is simply a back-handed way of acknowledging the film's legitimate viewpoint. Frankly, this film touches on and Many Mormon church members here may not care about this film because they got what they wanted - the stalling and even reduction ot rights for the LGBT community. He went as far as to call same-sex marriage "the greatest threat to America going down/ 1 which with minor punctuation changes could be a pretty good title for another kind of film. church itself. All of these are issues that press continually on citizens of Utah. Not only are debates on each one of them necessary, but also solutions to the problems that they bring up. Most especially, these issues are desperately important for many college-age citizens, who are coming to grips with how they live their lives. Students here, at Happy Valley's sole repository of college counter culture, are at a place where they are likely to be at thenmost politically and intellectually active. Further, now is the time that many young LGBT people are coming to grips with themselves, and are beginning to think about coming out. In other words, this film has the potential to lead to some serious discussions and serious actions. Already "8: The Mormon Proposition" has had some small effect on local politics, notably an ongoing black eye for state Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, who is seen in the film making extremely (and unsurprisingly) bigoted remarks about gays. He went as far as to call same~..~ •..... ... ,.. -sex marriage .-. f A "the greatest threat to . " '"'""' "•••- 1(l - "America going down," which with minor punctuation changes could be a pretty good title for another kind of film. As a result he has been stripped of two committee chairmanships by Republican leadership. Unfortunately, it probably won't mean much for most of the state. But what the film will do, hopefully, has implications for several serious is impassion LGBT citizens who so issues - the constitutionality of samerecently gained and so quickly lost sex marriages, the role a religious rights in California to try even harder, organization has in the political sphere, and refuse to be out maneuvered by church and state issues, and the place an admittedly well-greased religious of LGBT members within the LDS organization. '** Comment devises a clever way of offering a perspective or explanation of someMany have undoubtthing, and "invents" a new edly had the urge in class and useful interpretive to reach over and throttle thought. This is why a the person whose off comment is always about topic and possibly far something - it's not just too personal comment a stand alone thought, has just made their blood but is necessarily interboil with vitriolic disgust. twined with the thing it's It's not unheard of. But, supposed to be about or really there's no need for explaining. violence. All they really It's interesting to think need is to understand what about this in relation to a comment is actually all certain words having the about. same Latin prefix as their Typically, "comment1* origin - one of which is used when someone is "community." When intends to express an making a comment, not opinion, and it is used to only does it need to bring refer both to the actual thoughts together, but it is expressing of the opinion always about something and the opinion itself. So, else, and it is always made a reporter looking for a to some other person or story asks the President group of people. to comment on the war in Thus, commenting Afghanistan. Or perhaps seems to be a necessarily after a burgeoning poet communicative and composts some new verse munity oriented activity. on their blog, and their To comment means to always-supportive friend become a member of the posts "Your poem sucks," group of people who are in the comments section. concerned with the topic Either of these examor issue (or poem) at hand. ples is accurate usage, but Further, it means that enthey hide the true nature of gaging in a dialogue with the word and the activity the members of that comof commenting. It's, in a munity, a dialogue whose way, a step beyond merely purpose is to keep going, expressing any old opinion taking what's good and or idea. combining with what's Originally, as is so already there. often the case, the word Commenting is never *just putting yourWIWbnts comes m only to defrfand no one •cum- meaning "together, spend themJKMll base meminisse, which putting your two cents means "to remember" into a giant and ever(and is related to the word expanding pot of metafrom which we get "menphorical knowledge into tal" and which anyone "mind"), concerned ' and after Commenting can dip their a bunch hand, grab is never just1 of ghastly a handful, grammati- putting your and spend on cal mamore comtwo cents in. nipulation ments and offers up more knowlcommenedge. rum, which meant someSo, there's never a thing more like "invenneed to strangle your tion" than "comment." classmates. Just explain to The implication is them a little about Latin that one skillfully brings and keep the discussion thoughts together in order moving. to offer up an interpretation of something. One DAVID SELF NEWUN Opinions editor Response to vandalism CHRIS MANOR Guest writer TRENT BATES/ UVU Review I must preface this opinions piece by saying that I take full authorship of these comments and that they may not necessarily represent the whole of the Revolutionary Students Union. The RSU is a non-tendency club that welcome all tendencies of anti-capitalism; so I don't speak for all of its members. The RSU is under constant suppression of its political message. Whether it is posters disappearing from the GT building or being vandalized in the LA building, there are people engaging in outright attacks against this organization. These rhethods can only be characterized as passive aggressive. In contrast, the RSU aims for civic engagement with the campus as well as our community. I would certainly welcome anyone to come to our club meetings to engage us in a civil dialogue about any disagreements they have with the RSU. This is an attempt to respond publicly to the content of some of the vandalism perpetrated by anonymous critics. Capitalism is by no means the most free or morally pure system. The freedoms we have in this country are bourgeois freedoms: We have the choice between choosing Coke or choosing Pepsi and we get to choose our health insurance, that is, if we can even afford it. We have the freedom. What we don't have is freedom from the capitalist economy. From the violence of Manifest Destiny, to the enslavement of Africans and institutional racism. From the history of primitive accumulation of property through "blood and fire," to economic imperialism of free trade. Supporters of capitalism are quick to distance themselves from these crimes. Those who proclaim that the United States is the freest nation in the world are also the ones who move most quickly to silence others are not simple hypocrites..Most people believe suppression of dissent happens only after an event like 9-11, but that's not the whole story. For every justified use of emergency powers - like Lincoln combating slavery - the U.S. has institutionally suppressed dissidents through the Alien and Sedition Acts, the Espionage Act, as well as the Anarchist-Exclusion Act, the Smith Act, and COINTELPRO. The suppression of radicals isn't an aberration of the "free capitalist system," but its proper functioning. A state enacts laws to determine acceptable behavior to maintain stability. In a capitalist society, the state exists to defend the stability of the capitalist class against radical change. I do not point out the overwhelming brutality of capitalism to make a tu quoqe argument but to show that the critics of other systems do not care about the alleged excesses they criticize when they occur within their preferred system. Such arguments cannot stand the light of truth so they attempt to suppress people who point out the failings of capitalism and fight for something better. , They, and the recent attacks against the RSU, demonstrate clearly the limits of capitalist freedom. Chris Manor Comrade President of the Revolutionary Students Union and a sophomore studying Philosophy. |