8FEOFTEBZ +BOVBSZ pinion " O The Herald Journal Our view Mid-term resignation a disservice to voters wannabe politicians’ chances To the next person who at the polls. However, it would runs for office in Cache Valley: be a refreshing dose of honesty Tell your constituents if you and transparency some see as plan to call it quits mid-term. lacking in politics. Last week, now-former Now a replacement will be Cache County Attorney George appointed to the county attor- Daines turned in his resigna- ney position, and that person tion letter. After six years in may very well be an exemplary office, Daines said he felt he’d public servant who will be accomplished what he set out voted into the office again in to do, met personal goals he’d 2010. But Cache County resi- set for himself and was ready to dents deserve to vote for their “move on to something else.” county attorney, not merely That’s all fine. It’s his prerog- hope a good one is appointed. ative when to leave a position. This isn’t to say there aren’t However, he would have done decent reasons to leave office voters a favor two years ago early or unexpectedly. Fam- by telling them he might not ily complications, health complete his four-year term. problems, legal issues and a Some constituents may have multitude of other unexpected The times are a-changin’ chosen to go with someone else problems warrant acceptable. — one who planned to stay on But if Daines knew he could By Thad Box now accepted for their ability, not Next Tuesday we will have a throughout his or her full term be stepping down before his for their country of origin or the new president whose wife and — while others might not have time (and he says he did), he color of their skin. children are direct descendents of cared about the possibility and kept that quiet. Voters deserve a Next Monday is Martin Fifty years ago, I knew the dozen African slaves, who, unless they voted for Daines anyway. little more information — and Luther King Jr. Day. For the first or so black people in Cache Valley. were smuggled in by white trad- time, the Utah Legislature will not Most were students at USU. Today ers, were on American soil prior to Yes, this practice may hurt respect — the next time around. meet on that holiday. The opening we have a department in Logan 1808. Our new president was raised of the Legislature has been perma- government headed by a black man by a single mom and her parents nently moved. It took a while, but born in Somalia. Several adminis- — white, working class Americans Your view the Legislature finally listened to trators and professors at USU are whose ancestry traces back to pio- the people. Now our state will join people of color or are Hispanic. neer times. His Luo father contrib- the rest of the nation in honoring We have business leaders born in uted genes for dark pigment in his one of America’s greatest heroes. Afghanistan, China, Mexico, Iran skin. Art quotation LDS posters In the minds and countries throughout the world. Obama seeks to unite us as an of some right- Cache Valley’s first baby of 2009 American people by being a post- misattributed ‘good pictures’ wing ideolo- is David Cruz. His father spoke to partisan, post-racial president. But To the editor: To the editor: gists, King was reporters through an interpreter. we white Anglos have to become I recently read Ms. Amy Wil- In a letter to the editor, Amy primarily an Respected physicians in our val- post-racial first, judging people on liamson’s comments regarding Williamson suggests that Steve advocate for ley have Arab, Jewish, Spanish, character and intellect rather than Steve Nethercott’s Book of Mor- Nethercott’s paintings of Book African-Ameri- Lebanese, Slavic, Indian and Dan- color. mon poster art with interest (“Mor- of Mormon Heroes look as if the cans. King and ish names. Some of these are old Two-thirds of Americans approve
mon ‘Heroes’ Portraits Appalling,” figures stepped out of a video black people Box Cache Valley families. Others of the way young Barack Hus- HJ, 1/10/09). I do, however, feel game. I wonder what she thinks were fair game recently came from Asia or else- sein Obama is working to restore a point of clarification is in order. about Arnold Friberg’s paintings of in Utah. Last year Sen. Chris But- where. But all are part of “We the America’s tarnished image abroad The statement which Ms. William- Book of Mormon Heroes (Abinadi tars, talking about a proposed bill, people.” and bring a sense of community to son attributed to me was made by before King Noah, Alma Baptizes said “that baby is a black, ugly Unfortunately bigotry is alive our homeland. But our economy Henry E. Jackson (not a Latter-day in the Waters of Mormon, Ammon thing.” He made himself and our in Happy Valley. It shows its ugly speeds toward depression, we are in Saint) whom I quoted in my article Defends the Flocks of King state a laughing stock nationally. head most often in blogs, where two wars, education and health care on the use of images of Christ in Lamoni, Captain Moroni Raises Apparently accepting his attitude, cowards spout their venom in are substandard, we have lost our Latter-day Saint visual culture the Title of Liberty, Jesus Christ people of his district re-elected him anonymity. It comes in jokes and moral high ground. He has a mess (BYU Studies, Vol. 39, 2000). Appears to the Nephites, Lehi and to the Senate, leaving our state’s letters to the editor. It hides in igno- to clean up. Jackson’s statement was in refer- His People Arrive in the Promised image an ugly thing. rance of our constitution, our his- Obama cannot do it alone. That’s ence to didactic visuals used in Land, Mormon Bids Farewell I think most Utahns are embar- tory and our culture. up to us. He says “Our strength as teaching Bible stories to children to a Once Great Nation, Nephi rassed by the likes of Buttars. Many Among comments about Cache a nation is built on the ideal that in Sunday Schools. I felt Jackson’s Subdues His Rebellious Brothers, are becoming disillusioned with Valley’s first baby were hateful we all have a stake in one another book, “Great Pictures as Moral Samuel the Lamanite on the Wall, right-wing bigotry. Most recognize remarks about immigrants, anchor ... Every time our nation has faced Teachers” (1910), was useful to my The Brother of Jared Sees the King as a champion for individual babies and welfare. The writ- a challenge, the American people discussion of the LDS Church’s Finger of the Lord, The Liahona freedom. His work for human ers’ image of America was not a have risen to meet it.” It is our job, use of visuals in teaching. and Two Thousand Young War- rights empowered poor white kids vibrant, compassionate people, not his, to make America greater. For those who are interested in the riors). Perhaps she might say that like me as well as those whose but of a narrow, selfish tribe. They On Jan. 19, Martin Luther King story behind the first published it looks like those figures stepped skins were dark. His sacrifice made ignored our constitution. One said Jr. Day, Obama calls for renewed Book of Mormon illustrations, see out of the ring of World Wrestling it possible for Americans of every the “first baby of the year” honor commitment to national service. He my article: “‘A Picturesque and Entertainment. The Friberg paint- color, every race, every country should be reserved for American asks us — Republicans, Democrats, Dramatic History’: George Reyn- ings can be seen in copies of the of origin to reach the American citizens. independents, Christians, Muslims, olds’ Story of the Book of Mor- Book of Mormon or can be pur- dream. Anyone born on American soil is Buddhists, atheists, black, white mon” in Art and Spirituality: The chased from the LDS Church Tuesday we install our first a citizen. It was not until the cen- or brown — to organize in our sus of 1850 that we asked where community and renew America Visual Culture of Christian Faith catalog. African-American president. a person was born. It matters not together. He wants us to form a (BYU 2008); reprinted in BYU Ms. Williamson also suggests Earlier Ahn Cao (R-La.) took the oath of office as our first Viet- when someone comes to America, movement that will stretch from Studies, Vol. 47, 2008. we “take a second, more criti- or from what part of the world, or coast to coast, bringing together While I do feel Ms. Williamson cal look at Nethercott’s work.” I namese-American congressman. Linda Solis’ (D-Calif.) father from what language they speak or how people from all walks of life acting is in her right to express her opin- don’t have to take a second look much pigment is in their skin. Our as one nation, with a common pur- ion, I am not able to evaluate or because the first look I got when Mexico and her mother from Nica- ragua met in a citizenship class. constitution speaks of people, not pose. offer any comment since I have I saw them at the Logan Mall was She will be the new Secretary of citizens. It gives the right to life, Obama did not win Utah. Only not seen Nethercott’s work. As a enough for me to purchase posters Labor. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) serves liberty and the pursuit of happi- about a fourth of the people of student and instructor of painting as Christmas presents for my Aar- as America’s first Indian-American ness to all people living peacefully Cache Valley voted for him. He and illustration, this topic is of onic Priest home teaching compan- governor. Sanjay Gupta, son of within our borders. asks all of us, whether we voted for great interest to me, and I applaud ion, for the young men and young Asian parents, will likely be our The Founding Fathers created a him or not, to build community, to the efforts of artists (young and women whom we home teach, next Surgeon General. Senator Ken constitution they were not ready celebrate America, to form a more old) who visually depict sacred for the children of my bishop, for Salazar (D-Colo.) will become our to fully accept. Power was held by perfect union. I hope we Utahns and heroic characters in ways that my son at BYU-Idaho and for my Spanish-American Secretary of white, property-owning males. It can get past his skin color and his are meaningful and significant. daughter who is on her mission. Interior. took almost a century and a half for name to become patriots rebuilding Whether or not they are successful I believe that Steve Nethercott’s Cao arrived in this country a women to get the right to vote. It America into a post-racial model of in conveying such feelings is up to paintings of Book of Mormon few decades ago as an eight-year- took a civil war to end slavery and freedom. viewers to decide. Heroes can be described as “good old refugee. Salazar’s ancestors to establish that black people were ———————————————— pictures.” helped establish Santa Fe before fully human. And in my lifetime Noel Carmack the American Revolution when President Lyndon Johnson signed Thad Box is a Logan resident. He Art Instructor Ted A. Bear the law that gave all Americans the can be reached by e-mail at thad- Utah was part of New Spain. Partly [email protected]. College of Eastern Utah North Logan because of King, Americans are right to vote.
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“Right conclusions are more likely to be gathered out of a multitude of tongues than through any kind of authoritative selection.” — Judge Learned Hand, American jurist (1872-1961)