It was great, really great! I can’t recall feeling so excited, renewed, and so positive after just a couple short hours. The attention was incredible! And just think: all without food or drink being used to get us together. You could legitimately state that it was even influenced by a Higher Power, as it was in part due to words spoken last Sunday.
No, “that” is not what I am referring to. I am referring to the larger-than-normal turnout at the Democratic Caucuses on Tuesday, March 13th, in Utah. The Salt Lake Tribune reported this morning that a room designed to hold 300 had over 500 in attendance. In the caucus I attended, the numbers were more than 4 times larger than any of the past decade’s turnouts. My precinct alone had 4 times its normal attendance. What factors could possibly have caused such a turnout? Being more than a little curious, I asked several of the new attendees why they had chosen to attend this year. There were two common responses; first, to be expected, is that the individual was tired of not having a voice in the selection of candidates; second, that there had been a letter, read in each of the last three Sundays, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints wished its members to take a more active role in the caucus of the party of their choice.
Of the former reason, one could reasonably predict people would more concerned than in the past regarding the political process in Utah. The past several years have seen an increase in disconnect between what the people want, and what our elected officials have passed into law. (The much ballyhooed open records law (GRAMA) that passed, was signed, then withdrawn after a huge public outcry; the argument over tuition “vouchers” for private schools, paid for by public school money; and the “no sex sex-ed” bill all come to mind.) Our state was redistricted without any attempt to listen to the voluminous, boisterous public input, by a legislature catering to the needs of the majority political party rather than the desires of the populace for local representation. Senator Bob Bennett was forced out by a group whose only desire was for a hard right-leaning senator rather than looking at the good moderate Senator Bennett had done for all of Utah. These are all good reasons for people to attend the caucus of their choice, and take active part in the selection of delegates to the county and state conventions, followed by active voter participation come Election Day.
The second group had different reasons and concerns. I heard from several people that “the Church says we need to get more involved, so that is why I am here.” One person commented, “I have always been a Democrat, but now I am told it’s ok if we participate. We need to move away from a 1-party state.” One wonders why it is “now” ok to participate, why “now” we need to move away from one-party control. The selection, and election, of our state and local law-makers needs the input of all citizens if the policies and laws are to be truly what is in the best interest of the governed. In my opinion, this is not something new, something that “now” needs to be addressed; this process should have been at the fore-front of the religious leaders since the state was created. Rule in any place by a single party only having token participation by a loyal opposition, is not rule of the peoples; it is rule by fiat, by ideology rather than rule by democracy. If in fact it was the statements from the Church leaders that induced these newcomers to take part in the process, I say thank you (to the Church) for making a point that was obviously heard regarding a citizen’s right & duty to participate. I also say, what took the Church so long to arrive at this point? What kept this life-long Democrat from participating before? I have no known answers to these questions.
As grandmother used to say, “The proof is in the pudding.” If these newly-enfranchised individuals follow through on last nights actions, and continue to grow the ranks and activities of the political parties in Utah, then a major good has been achieved. I can only hope that holds true.
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