Yesterday was a banner day for Democrats, and we didn’t even know it! 

A prominent Utah County Republican testified on Capitol Hill this week against HB239 which would revoke all driving privilege cards at the end of 2008, arguing that the practical effect of the law would be a significant increase in the number of drivers on Utah streets without auto insurance.  His arguments were not based on sympathy for undocumented immigrants, but rather a relatively dry analysis of uninsured motorists.  He was nonetheless accosted after his testimony by a man whom accused the Republican of being a “sympathizer” and called him an expletive in the process.  The GOP official told him that he was not interested in continuing a dialogue, but was again confronted by the man several minutes later and questioned about whether he belonged to a radical latin american terrorist group. 

The Republican said yesterday that he finally knew what it was like to be a Democrat!  To which we responded, “welcome to the fight, brother!”

What was perhaps most striking to this GOP faithful, however, was that the only members of the House committee that voted the way he was advocating were Democrats.  His reaction was genuine disappointment tinged with real, registerable surprise.  It has always impressed me to see the look on a person’s face when reality sinks in, like a truth revealing itself from behind an opaque curtain for the first time.  But this time was a little more special, particularly sweet.

I think it is interesting to note that the coalition of proponents of this legislation include some pretty rabid folks.  You need only read the comments on the KSL webpage for the story about the LDS Church encouraging compassion in addressing illegal immigraton issues to understand my “rabid” point.  Take this comment, for example “Oh please, like the term ‘compassion for illegal immigrants’ is going to be interpreted like that - how stupid do you think the general public is? Everyone knows that ‘compassion’ simply equates to ‘leniency’ which equates to all of them staying right here and everything being just as screwed up as it is right now. GET REAL. “  And this comment, “Twenty years ago the First Presidency encouraged foreign born saints to ’stay home’ and strengthen the Church in their home countries…By default the LDS Church is fostering the need for HONEST taxpayers to fork out over $80 million a year for educating the children of these people in Utah alone. And though they are likely only thinking of the ‘GOOD’ people who come here, the ‘CRAP’ that comes along and commits 75% of all violent and drug crime in Utah is PART of what they are fostering with such positions. THAT is NOT Compassion, it is misguided and wrong.   The best compassion we can direct toward those who come here illegally is to help them get home and for the Church to work within the LAW, government and private agencies to assist these people in creating the BETTER LIFE they seek here, IN THEIR OWN LANDS!”

Mainstream Utahns generally exercise compassion and tolerance in their lives, and have demonstrated their preference for that brand of politics when the antithesis is clearly defined as the alternative.  The problem is that most Utahns are like the Republican I have been discussing, they just don’t know what is going on- they trust that their leaders are doing the right thing and representing their interests and wishes on Capitol Hill.  Unfortunately, time and again, the majority in the Legislature has demonstrated that it acts contrary to overwhelming public support on policy agendas (vouchers, guns in churches and schools, water fluoridation, and public education funding…to name a few), but their intolerance and shenaniginery (I think I just made that word up) somehow manages to fly under the rader and most Utahns are unaware that the majority is acting contrary to mainstream Utah values.

I wish with all my heart that everyday Utahns had the kind of experience that my Republican friend did, and remembered that experience come November when real choices need to be made.  Running latinos and other non-conforming Utahns out of the state is simply not acceptable.  The land of Zion is vast…and so is the Utah Democratic party…so welcome, Lee– you can always call us “home.”

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