I imagine by now you’ve probably heard about the latest outrageous remarks spewing from the pie-hole of Utah state senator Chris Buttars, and you may be thinking to yourself, “what the hell is with that place anyhow?” Well, I live in this place, and I don’t get it either.
As far as I’m concerned, Senator Buttars is an ignorant, hateful old son-of-a-bitch who oozes contempt for anyone who isn’t just like him, i.e., white, male, heterosexual, Republican, Mormon,* and dressed by Mr. Mac. I have no doubt that in another time and another place, he would’ve been proud to stand alongside Governor Wallace on the steps of that elementary school. He is an embarrassment to this state and he ought to be an embarrassment to his church, as well, although I know there are quite a few people in both who agree with his opinions but are too polite to phrase them in terms as inflammatory as he likes to use. There’s got to be or else he wouldn’t keep getting elected.
When you’ve spent your entire life in Utah, as I have, nearly 40 years now, it is impossible — or at least highly dishonest — to deny that there’s a deep, ugly wellspring of bigotry flowing beneath this state. It’s directed at many types of people for all kinds of reasons, all of which basically boil down to someone being “different.” But not everyone who calls Utah home drinks from that spring. Not everyone here is afraid of people who don’t look like they were pressed out of some kind of biological cookie-cutter, or who don’t believe the things we do or behave and think in exactly the way we do. It disgusts me that this big-mouthed, belligerent, obstinate asshole keeps drawing national attention to himself and making it look as if his bad attitude is representative of what Utah is all about, even as he tries to portray himself as a misunderstood victim of a liberal press and “mean” special-interest groups. Mean, Buttars? Seems to me that’s a classic case of the pot talking to the proverbial kettle.
This isn’t about the political football issue he’s discussing in the interview that started this brouhaha, gay rights, not really. It’s about a nasty-spirited, awful man who likes to try and hurt people he doesn’t like. You can see it in the video excerpts of that interview, the glitter in his eye when he starts throwing around nasty terms like “pig sex” — a term I’ve never heard before the righteous Mr. Buttars introduced it to me, by the way, and I fancy myself a reasonably worldly guy — he’s itching for a fight, and he’s being deliberately provocative in hopes of getting it. He’s a bully and an ass, as bigots usually are.
Buttars makes me ashamed of my home state, ashamed that this is a place where enough people agree with his thinking to keep voting him into office. But I have to say again, and keep saying it as loudly as I can, that not everyone from Utah is like him.
* Disclaimer: I’ve got nothing against Mormons. As I’ve said before, most of my friends and family are Mormon and they’re good people whom I love, even when I occasionally disagree with them. But a lot of Buttars’ bile is fueled by, or at least informed by, his religious beliefs. I don’t suggest he’s a bigot because he’s Mormon — you can find fearful, close-minded bastards in any particular group — but Mormonism gives shape to his bigotry, and membership in the church is very obviously one of the criteria he uses to judge others, so I consider it fair to mention it here.
I for one believe Buttars to be exactly the type of Mormon that gives the rest of us a bad name. If he had read the story of Sodom and Gommorah and truly understood what it said, and if he truly listened to those that he ostensibly believes to be Prophets of God that actually talk to Him, and if he read and understood the scripture in Amos that says in part “whether it is by My voice of the voice of My servants (the prophets) it is the same” then none of these things that he said should have even been thought let alone spoken.
Buttars’ is a hate filled, prejudiced, frightened, little boy of a man who bullies those different then him because he is in the majority so he’s “bigger” and that makes it okay.
It’s not okay. It’s not in our teachings anywhere. Love the sinner, hate the sin we say. And although it often sounds condescending it isn’t if it’s practiced right.
GRRRRRR. Of course now I get to turn that around and ask myself, “Am I really doing that for Buttars and his ilk?”
Probably not but right now I’m very very angry and disappointed in the man.
Steve, thanks for adding your perspective as a member of (ostensibly) the same faith as Buttars.
I honestly think he’d be the same regardless of what faith he was or where he lived, which is what I was getting at with that reference to George Wallace. He strikes me as the sort who is fundamentally contemptuous of those who are different from himself.
Hi Jas, maybe I shouldn’t comment when you’re spitting mad and I really don’t know much about the topic… For what it’s worth, I hadn’t previously heard anything of Mr. Buttars back here in the NY/NJ area, but I’ve been pretty busy this year and haven’t been following the news too closely. A quick search of the NYTimes got nada so maybe it’s not the huge item you think it is. I read the Ch. 4 link above and I’m not quite sure why you are so upset. I even followed the link to his previous scandal on remarks about black people. The quotes they are printing by Buttars indicate definite underlying prejudice. I think he is definitely not someone who should be making laws, but I guess I feel more like Reverend France Davis when he said about the Buttars’ NAACP comment, “It perhaps comes across as racist but I think its just sheer ignorance.” Maybe the quotes don’t communicate very well and I can’t watch video at work.
To me its just some old crazy coot that is a little homophobic–maybe it stems from too many jokes about his last name–or maybe, “The man doth protest too much, methinks.” I put him in the same category as a very nice old white South African woman in our ward. You don’t want to ask her about South Africa, because sooner or later she will very nicely throw out a politically incorrect nuclear bomb statement about blacks in a nice quaint British accent with no perception of what she just said. For me its old ignorance instilled from birth from another era that I’m not sure can be re-taught. I’m not excusing it, as it must not to be passed down to the next generation, but I wonder if some of these people are just past learning and just need to be sequestered as much as possible. Maybe Mr. Butthead needs the occasional slap up side the head when he says something stupid.
Anyway I’ve been checking out people’s perception of Utah since I left. The vibe I get in NJ is that it’s split between, “somewhere out west in the desert where the Mormons live and aren’t they all polygamist?” and “the really beautiful place with amazing national parks, great skiing and nice people.” For Germans, Utah is a highly desired vacation destination and maybe a lot of Mormons live there. So I don’t think you need to be so concerned about Utah’s external image, but maybe people sugarcoat it a bit for me since that’s where I’m from. Maybe it would be fun to solicit honest perceptions from your out-of-state readers.
Hey, Keith — first of all, don’t ever be shy about commenting here, even if I am spitting nails about something. You’re one of the few people I know who can be counted upon to discuss pretty much any topic rationally while everyone else is pulling straight-razors from their boots and getting ready to samba. I value your thoughts any time you care to share them.
As to why I’m so riled about this, I guess the easiest explanation is that I’ve simply run out of patience for people who are proud of their own stiff-necked, belligerent ignorance, and there are so very many of them around these days.
For Buttars to declare that gay people are “the biggest threat to this country” is, to me, incredibly offensive in its stupidity. The biggest threat, Chris? Really? Bigger than al Qaeda and a nuclear-armed Iran? Bigger than the economic meltdown and the pollution of our air and water, and the crumbling infrastructure and health care costs that have most people living in terror of one bad accident bankrupting them? Bigger than the approaching energy crisis and, yes, even though I’m sure he doesn’t believe it’s happening, bigger than global warming? What a load!
I’m also deeply troubled by the fact that so many people in this state apparently agree with his views. His constituents must, because they keep re-electing him (he won again last year in spite of his racist “black baby” remark). And his fellow legislators do, by their own admission. You suggest that he should be sequestered and/or slapped upside the head when he says something like this; I’d pay good money to see it. But he never receives any genuine punishment for spewing his bigotry and hatred. All he ever gets is symbolic hand-slapping. Because a sizable percentage of people here obviously share his worldview.
The truth is that I’m feeling very alienated and disappointed in my home state right now. I’ve always known that I have some different ideas from a lot of other folks around here, but I never thought I was all that different. After all, I grew up here, exposed to pretty much the same stuff as everybody else, right? But this deep vein of ugly prejudice… I don’t get where this comes from. And if a lot of Utahns think the same way Buttars does, well, what does that say about me? More importantly, where does that leave me? That‘s why I’m so upset… because in a real way, this is an existential problem for me.
I sincerely hope none of that harms your opinion of me, by the way. I hope you’ve known me long enough to understand that I’m just a liberal old Trekkie who bought into all that e plebnista talk, and I’m basically harmless…
I’m glad, at least, that this story hasn’t spread the way I feared it might. And you’re right, it would be interesting to solicit some opinions…
I figured I’d ad my $.02 for what it’s worth too. 🙂
I think the finger gets pointed at the “Mormons” from within the state and as Keith said, very little is known outside of Utah as to what is really happening. How often do we follow stupid comments by other State Senators outside of Utah? I all honesty, I’m sick of this story. It’s big news here but this stuff happens all over the nation, not just in the LDS community.
Your initial post appeared to make assumption that it was Buttars’ Mormon upbringing that led to where he is now. I think he’s farther from that group then he professes to be however we see that he’s “Mormon” and automatically he’s clumped into the fold. Do I believe he’s a racist bigot? Absolutely. Do I believe he’s entitled to his opinion? Absolutely. I do believe however that he can share his views in a more tactful and civil way as a government representative of Utah. Mormonism has no more to do with how he is than Islam is to Osama Bin Laden. It’s their religion. Doesn’t mean they’re honoring it.
As to his constituents? They’re not all Mormon and I don’t think that should be a factor in why he’s getting elected. He’s saying some pretty dumb stuff, yes. He’s getting re-elected, yes. Eventually it will catch up to bite him in the arse and he’ll be ousted.
Overall we live in a great state with some great people and we should be fortunate that economically we’re fairing better than most. Bigotry and stupid idiots are all over the nation. There are people like Buttars in every town in every state. It’s too bad they get lumped in with religious groups all too often though where ever they are.
Is it bad that many of Buttars legislators feel the same way? Honestly, I don’t know, Jas. I think we are in a world where speaking your mind isn’t safe unless you’re absolutely sure you won’t offend someone or some group. I don’t condone Buttars comments, however like Steven mentioned earlier, I think it’s the context and tone of how we speak that gets us in hot water. We say the wrong thing at wrong time. I don’t condone the gay lifestyle and I don’t support the gay lifestyle but I don’t have venomous hatred for them either. Buttars could have made a well thought out comment that better expressed his view on an issue as opposed to wording it as he did. It doesn’t mean that those around him are bigots and senseless idiots. They feel a certain way and have good sense to bite their tongues when necessary. Same as we all do every day. I think it a sad day when we can’t express our feelings even if we do it in a piss poor way and garner the consequences.
Couple of things, Cheno:
First, I never said that anyone can’t or shouldn’t express their opinions. I absolutely support Buttars’ (and his fellow legislators’) right to express himself (themselves). But as you say, there are consequences for our actions, one of which is that other people will call you a bigoted ass when you reveal yourself to be one.
Maybe you don’t think this story is worth the coverage it has received. Maybe, if viewed from a thousand-mile POV, it’s not. But I personally find this man and the things he says deeply, deeply offensive. I doubt it will surprise you that I disagree with his (and yours, if we’re being honest) ideas about gay people, but there’s more to my anger than that. In addition to his ideas, Buttars offends me with his choice of words, his smugness, his nastiness, and his obvious pride in knowing he offends people. He likes pissing people off, and I’ve always found people like that reprehensible. I abhor bullies. Simply put, the man pushes my buttons.
Second point: as I said in the initial post, I don’t think Buttars is bigoted because he’s LDS. I’m not hacking on the church here and I apologize if it seemed like I was (I thought I’d made it clear I wasn’t, but intentions don’t always translate). I don’t think the church made him into a bigot, and I don’t think his constituents’ (presumed) bigotry comes from being LDS. I certainly don’t think all Mormons are bigots, either. However, I do think that Buttars’ faith is a big component of his bigotry; he seems (to me) to judge others based on whether they’re members of the church, and he uses the scriptures to articulate and justify his hatreds, so naturally that’s all going to come into the conversation.