The Salt Lake Tribune has issued a follow-up story to the most recent GOP disaster in Utah: State Senator Chris Buttars's anti-gay remarks. You can find the first DailyKos diary about this story over at the page of ragged claws scuttling, but I wanted to give a follow up. Today, the Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that State Senator Buttars has been removed from 2 of his committees by the senate officials, including Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville. More follows below the fold.
Here's some of the original reporting from ABC4 about Senator Buttars's comments:
As many of you may know or hear above, Senator Buttars has been taped as saying very homophobic remarks, such as saying Gay people have no morals, that they're one of the greatest "threats to the country" and that gays are like "radical muslims" and more. As ragged claws scuttling shows, this state senator is also mainly viewed as racist because of his comments about a black baby being "ugly."
Of course, the GOP controls the state senate in Utah. So what does the GOP do to handle this situation? Today, it was made known that the GOP removed Buttars from the chairmanship of the Judiciary committee and he was removed from his other committee position on Health and Human Services! Now isn't that a thoughtful little slap on the hand from the dear GOP?
Now, I admit that some people have come to accept the fact that Utah is conservative, but this state Senator continues to prove himself an idiot and a bigot. Let's think of this logically: His racism and homophobia are not representing Utah in a fair-minded and rational way. Quite to the contrary, Senator Buttars's peronsal brand of hatred is perpetuating ideas that continue to offend people and set a very bad example. Of course, I have my own reasons for being outraged too.
As a bisexual guy, I keep hoping and working to improve this world so that my family and their children won't have to deal with this kind of bullsh*t in the future. No state representative should call an entire community of people "immoral" or a "threat to America." Aside of these comments being generalizations, Buttars is spreading the wrong message to our nation's youth. I have to ask --
How can we ask our young people to be upstanding and ethical citizens when people like Buttars is spewing such hatred? How can we have democracy with men like Buttars representing people?
And as the Salt Lake Tribune is reporting, the Senate President (also a Republican) has made this disgusting statement about Buttars's comments:
"I want the citizens of Utah to know that the Utah Senate stands behind Senator Buttars right to speak, we stand behind him as one of our colleagues and his right to serve this state," said Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville. "He is a senator who represents the point of view of many of his constituents and many of ours. We agree with many of the things he said. . . . We stand four square behind his right [to say what he wants]."
If you're as aggravated as I am, I urge you to tell these senators and their staffers that it's time for Senator Buttars to step down. They will only make a move if we tell them how upsetting this is to Americans. Here are the e-mail addresses for these so-called "moral" (i.e., holier than thou) representatives over in the state of Utah:
- Utah State Senate President Michael Waddoups (R): waddoups@utahsenate.org
- Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack (R): skillpack@utahsenate.org
- Senator Chris Buttars: dcbuttars@utahsenate.org
Or, if you're feeling up to it, please feel free to give the Utah state Senate a phone call at 1-801-538-1035, and share how you feel about Senator Buttars's tirade against gays. Or, you can call the Utah State Senate President Michael Waddoups at his senate office: 1-801-355-1136.