One Utah

In our society, almost all minority groups face a complicated choice between being fully integrated and between self-segregation. At one time, women’s colleges were the only avenue for women to pursue higher education, same for the historically black colleges. Catholic schools were organized since many public schools openly indoctrinated students into protestantism. [...]

Jesse Helms died at the age of 86. He served 30 years in the US Senate. He was a shrewd manipulator of Senate rules and a fearless champion of racism in its most honest form. Helms was also a rare breed - a truly honest bigot. He didn’t dress up his [...]

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear Jane Goodall speak at Abravanel Hall. She began by offering her own chimpanzee morning greeting, an intriguingly delicate, mournful cry of greeting to the day. She read an account of a 19th century explorer who was charged with shooting specimens that was a stark reminder [...]

One of the favorite tactics of Republicans, especially in the era of Karl Rove, is voter suppression. This is the grab bag of legal requirements and sometimes dirty tricks aimed at discouraging poor people and minorities from voting.
When you hear claims of “voter fraud” coming from the GOP, watch out. They are pushing [...]

Last night, I watched The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo on KUED - a history of the forced relocation of thousands of Navajo from their homeland to Bosque Redondo.  If I’m reading correctly, the show is a production of KUED which is great - it’s time we uncover these parts of our history, that we refuse [...]

Okay, here’s the deal.  I have ten dollars ($10).  I’m going to pair you with someone you don’t know - call you Ike and Mike for lack of a better name.  I’m going to give the other person the $10 and tell them they have to share it with you but . . . They [...]

I’m of the opinion that the voucher referendum is primarily if not exclusively about taking back our democracy from the special interest-ridden Utah legislature. But what if the special interests were right this time, and private school vouchers are actually a good idea? I don’t think so. Let’s debunk the main talking [...]

I’m really looking forward to the warm feeling I’ll get when I fill out my mail-in ballot, driving another nail on the coffin of PCE’s ill-conceived school voucher scheme. I’m counting the days until we veto the vouchers. Frankly, last March I wondered if we would ever get this opportunity– or if the [...]

I want to acknowledge Frank Staheli’s post below. Until he mentioned it, I had missed the significance of last Thursday’s Supreme Court decision in the consolidated cases of Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education — probably the most important ruling on integration since [...]

I’m reposting this from here because it huge, and it received no media here in Utah and no comments even on this blog. Did anyone listen?
Mary Brown Firmage is a direct descendant of a wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith & Brigham Young, and Daughter of Hugh B. Brown (who called for Blacks to hold [...]

Lots more pictures here.

Today was the Salt Lake City Gay Pride Parade. It was huge, and it was fun.

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More pictures here.