Readers' forum: Keep Utah's caucuses

I have read repeated letters over the past few weeks about how terrible the caucus system is. Having been a state delegate, county delegate and precinct chair over the years, I could not disagree more. Every time we have had and election during the years I have been associated with the caucuses, you could not get more than 10-15 people to come out to the precinct meetings.

Repeated phone calls and notes on doors, even going door to door, we could not get a larger attendance. The difference this year was that the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made the call over the pulpit for each of us to attend the caucuses. We had over 150 people at our precinct meeting.

The participation was fabulous, and everyone had the opportunity to be involved. This is grassroots foundational politics. It is not only essential that we keep this system as presently constituted and make no changes, but acknowledge its importance. If you go to a statewide system, you will get no participation, and everyone will return to their closets.

Those who have done the complaining have not done their research and, as such, want to force us to make changes. If we go statewide then outside sources will become involved, and we will lose our basic freedoms. We need to keep it as is. Experts, pundits and progressives should not be allowed to cause this unnecessary change in our political process.

Tom Kerr

West Jordan