In many places, the 2022 vote falls into the same percentage split between the two parties regardless of the office, qualifications/experience, reputation, ideology/religion, education, income or planet of origin of the actual candidate. An alien from outer space could win in Texas with 54% of the vote if it declared Republican. Anyone with three heads declaring Democrat would get exactly 46%.
Is this what democracy has come down to? We must either pick “amber waves of fascism” on the right, or “beautiful and spacious graves of socialism” on the left?
Independent candidates have an almost impossible row to hoe, as the Utah senatorial race showed this year. Citizens must either love Donald Trump, love Joe Biden or get the heck out.
Red tide and blue moon cannot be our only two options. The first is deadly and the second is pie in the sky.
Kimball Shinkoskey
Woods Cross, Utah
Response
to letter
Mrs. Coronado’s Dec. 14 letter complains that a teacher’s union is promoting transgenderism and Critical Race Theory, thus ruining children’s lives, promoting their mental and physical mutilation and destroying a child’s innocence. If that were being accomplished, don’t you think someone would have been arrested by now?
It’s my opinion that her complaint amounts to no more than a demand from the right to again censor the truth and any new information that may be contrary to the radical right demand that truth is only what is good for rich, white, far-right America. Does she prefer the far-right request that slavery now be called involuntary relocation?
My solution is teaching the truth, for that certainly will result in children who understand themselves and will be respectful of others.
Further, regarding “these intrusive elements” — which ones? She mentioned only the union.
She mentions “questionable voter registration tactics” — like what? Why is maximizing the time allowed to vote unpatriotic?
“Promoting … illegal immigration”: Please tell us how the lack of adequate immigration laws through 3.5 administrations equates to promotion. Has some organization been running TV spots advertising the benefits of migration?
“These self-promoters … under the guise of doing God’s work”: Is she including the church?
“Tax-funded socialism … destroying our democracy”: Are Americans over 65 destroying America by taking advantage of government programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and legitimate welfare? They keep those “working citizens” of hers from doing without care and basic living expenses in retirement.
“Liberal activists should further their humanitarian activities with self-financing.” So, apparently it’s not the humanitarian parts that bother Mrs. Coronado, it’s that the taxpayers must pay for it. I hope she realizes that there are hundreds of organizations that do just that — Doctors Without Borders, the church, CARE, etc. — and more are needed.
However, let me assure you in closing that if the uncaring, inhuman, cruel, vindictive USA Mrs. Coronado proposes comes to be soon, I will be glad I’m 79.
Ned Sheats
Mission
