There have been so many letters regarding this election, I have refrained from adding my opinion unless I felt there was something new I could add to the debate. Heather Mae Donbrosky’s Oct. 16 letter sent me over the edge, however, because of her not-so-subtle inference that active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints must be Trump supporters.
Ms. Donbrosky states she is an American patriot and student of our nation’s history, both of which are commendable. I am also a student of American history. In fact, after retiring from a career with the federal government, I taught political science at the Salt Lake Community College. I also consider myself an active member of the LDS Church, although I certainly fall way short of living perfectly by all the principles the church teaches.
Ms. Donbrosky states this election is a choice between “good and evil” and attacks “the radical left’s agenda to dismantle America’s liberties in order to nosedive our country into tyranny and hell.”
Which agenda item did she have in mind? Is it the left’s desire to provide health care to all Americans at an affordable cost, or, in the case of our most disadvantaged and suffering, at no cost? Is it the left’s desire to provide education for all by providing financial assistance to low-income students? Is it the support of the Black Lives Matter movement and other efforts to eliminate any form of discrimination in our society?
It is hard to know which agenda item she considers evil other than the pro-choice position of many liberals (though not all). And, for the record, many on the right seem to imply that pro-choice advocates just love abortions. I don’t know anyone, conservative or liberal, who likes abortions. The question is whether to criminalize it. If you want to make abortions illegal, what is the punishment for breaking the law?
One thing I firmly believe, however, is that Donald Trump is the antithesis to everything taught by the savior. Trump’s lying, dishonesty, lack of compassion, misogyny, name-calling and ego-centric behavior certainly are not consistent with LDS values. One thing I know for sure: Mr. Trump will not be invited to our family home evenings.
David Lowry, Holladay