This whole same-sex marriage thing has got us thinking differently. Watching “former sheriff” Richard Mack (yes, he was referred to that way three times) on Fox News excoriate the “homosexual agenda” (no, he didn’t like to use the word “gay”) was both funny and embarrassing. Failed congressional candidate Cherilyn Eagar helped sponsor Mack’s appearance in—where else—Utah County to whip up some “outrage” over the issuance of marriage licenses to “homo-sexuals.” Did Mack realize the hypocrisy when twice he called for “homosexuals” to stop “shoving their agendas down our throats” or “down our kids’ throats”? And then there was reporter Todd Tanner, talking about how Mack thinks the system is broken from the “top-down” and it’s up to the people to fix it from the “bottom up.” And when the Deseret News wrote about the rally, it caused a Twitter tiff when someone said they were editorializing by putting quotation marks around “constitutional.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Jacob Anderegg, R-Lehi, wants a constitutional amendment to make sure churches can refuse to conduct gay marriages. This is so everyone can just “relax,” he says. There must be something we’re missing. Individual churches have a number of rules and restrictions on marriage and have little trouble saying no. Slate magazine explains in detail why this so-called threat to liberty is really a scare tactic, and how American jurisprudence works to balance civil rights. But Anderegg must be convinced that there are people out there who would force an unwilling cleric to marry them.
During the season of hope and charity, it’s nice to see that some people have kindness as their guide. Not that it always starts out that way. Take the case of the 86-year-old Tremonton woman who returned home after the holidays to find her heat cut off. Calls to Questar’s emergency number on Friday resulted in her being told to wait until Monday. Questar, which is seeking a rate hike, eventually apologized and admitted their error. Then, there was the case of neighbors worried about a cat stranded on a power pole. The Salt Lake Fire Department and animal control refused the call for help, but did refer it to Rocky Mountain Power, which created a work order. Finally, a Rocky Mountain Power worker coaxed the cat down. Kudos to those who look beyond policy and operate on humanity.
Twitter: @KathyBiele
