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I am concerned what my ward will be like once Romney is nominated. I don't doubt that SLC will have its letter about the Church not endorsing any political party, and might even have an additional letter or added wording, but odds are the ward experience is going to be difficult for LDS Democrats this year.
The reason for this is that there has long been a breakdown with the non-endorsement letter approach. Sure, it helps Intellectual Reserve Inc. maintain its tax exempt status for it's non-profit LDS Church brand, but both local leadership and local membership habitually give political comments a free pass when they come from the Republican direction. The reasons for this bias are many (Ezra Taft Benson, Cleon Skousen, Danites, Anti-Johnston's Army Federalism, Jim Matheson's East-Bench haircut, Obama being less valiant in the pre-existence) but they don't excuse the resulting systematic, alienating behavior. What's more, LDS Democrats (all 300 of them) are likely to be defensive about all of this. Hell, a few of them might even attempt an Occupy Stake Conference.
Uncharacteristically, my concern is prompting me to do more than just bitch on a message board.
I am going to suggest to my Bishop that we have a fifth Sunday meeting that addresses the need for the Republican majority in the Church to at least pretend to give a damn about the Telestial-bound, tree-hugging, baby killing, sleeping-on-the-job-union-supporting wankers waiting in the foyer for the Fast Offering money to pay for their 3-D TVs. I'll even volunteer to participate in such a meeting.
Moreover, when my suggestion is blown off by my Bishop, who is a big wheel in the local Republican party and who doesn't believe in councils because they seem democratic and we live in a republic, I will send a copy of the most egregious examples of political soapboxing in my ward to the Stake President. My letter to the Stake President will include a question about whether or not the ACLU will be interested in the structural Republican bias in Intellectual Reserve Inc.'s LDS Church brand.
The Stake President will likely take action at that point, even if it is only to forward my letter to the secret, non-cult-like file on me in the Church Office Building.
I will then be reduced to placing a "Mormons for Obama" sticker on my Toyota and packing the back seat with Victoria's Secret shopping bags. But I will have done something!
[ame]http://www.cafepress.com/newwhitehouse.245577704[/ame]
The reason for this is that there has long been a breakdown with the non-endorsement letter approach. Sure, it helps Intellectual Reserve Inc. maintain its tax exempt status for it's non-profit LDS Church brand, but both local leadership and local membership habitually give political comments a free pass when they come from the Republican direction. The reasons for this bias are many (Ezra Taft Benson, Cleon Skousen, Danites, Anti-Johnston's Army Federalism, Jim Matheson's East-Bench haircut, Obama being less valiant in the pre-existence) but they don't excuse the resulting systematic, alienating behavior. What's more, LDS Democrats (all 300 of them) are likely to be defensive about all of this. Hell, a few of them might even attempt an Occupy Stake Conference.
Uncharacteristically, my concern is prompting me to do more than just bitch on a message board.
I am going to suggest to my Bishop that we have a fifth Sunday meeting that addresses the need for the Republican majority in the Church to at least pretend to give a damn about the Telestial-bound, tree-hugging, baby killing, sleeping-on-the-job-union-supporting wankers waiting in the foyer for the Fast Offering money to pay for their 3-D TVs. I'll even volunteer to participate in such a meeting.
Moreover, when my suggestion is blown off by my Bishop, who is a big wheel in the local Republican party and who doesn't believe in councils because they seem democratic and we live in a republic, I will send a copy of the most egregious examples of political soapboxing in my ward to the Stake President. My letter to the Stake President will include a question about whether or not the ACLU will be interested in the structural Republican bias in Intellectual Reserve Inc.'s LDS Church brand.
The Stake President will likely take action at that point, even if it is only to forward my letter to the secret, non-cult-like file on me in the Church Office Building.
I will then be reduced to placing a "Mormons for Obama" sticker on my Toyota and packing the back seat with Victoria's Secret shopping bags. But I will have done something!
[ame]http://www.cafepress.com/newwhitehouse.245577704[/ame]
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