Reader comments
Public outrage by rote

The reason we are upset at Buttars is that he represents Utah to the outside world. This State takes a beating on a regular basis, so we expect our politicians to take that into account. This is not Buttars only gaff. With him it is continual and bigoted. If I lived in Chicago, I might say the same thing about Jesse Jackson. Your analogy to Imus is meaningless; he is a radio personality, not a man with a vote in a State legislature. However, I live in Utah and I have every right to be embarrassed by a man who represents me in the way he does.

Thanks for the column. I've been watching the reaction and think that it is rediculous. It was not a smart thing to say, but it was in no way to be malicious. It was an accident. He apologized--let's all get over it.

"Does anyone think that a veteran politician like Buttars was thinking of an African-American baby when he said that?"

YES, WE DO!

He's denigrated everyone else who doesn't toe the BUTTARS-RUZIKA belief system.

The only surprise here, is that people finally rose up.

Mr Robinson, YOUR response is by rote! "Oh, my. They're hurting Mr Buttars. He's such a good man, he'd never think anything ugly of anyone. We can't let this good politician resign, because he represents what WE REALLY BELIEVE!"

Hey, Doug, you can take great comfort in knowing that the same people who can't discriminate between a truly racist comment and a slip of the tongue are the same ones voting for the next President of the United States. If the Buttars incident causes their small-minded brains to twitter, imagine how perplexed they'll be trying to follow the Presidential debates!

I think the thoughts expressed here in Mr. Robinson's column are correct. However, he did not mention that most of the people he uses as examples to illustrate his point were, like Senator Buttars, also very controversial long before they made the comments that damaged their careers. The impetus behind the controversy was usually something besides the last comment that got them into trouble. In Senator Buttars' case, the force behind the current flap is his history of promoting man/woman marriage and opposing the efforts of those who want to change it by making it something else. He is a good target because he has strong views on subjects that are currently controversial, he expresses them emotionally, doesn't always think twice before speaking, and is successful in getting his views into the statute books. That doesn't make him a racist or a bigot, but in today's political climate it makes him a bull's eye for those who are on the losing side and can't quite verbalize a legitimate argument for their own views without resorting to calling those who oppose them racists or a bigots.

Buttars has be an elected official since 1979 when he served on the city council of West Jordan City. He should have the public speaking thing down by now, 19 years later, but yet he continues his legacy of racist/homophobic remarks. The guy didn't make a verbal gaff, he's a freaking homophobic racist. To refer to a collegue as "the gay". Seriously? Even those who do not agree with McCoy's lifestyle even have to admit that was cold and unbecoming of an elected official. Let him run for re-election and see that his constituents are done with him.

Mr. Robinson's comments and description of the hazards are correct in a general and generic sense. However, in his speaking against incorrect political correctness, he has picked the wrong example. Buttars is not Howard Cosell, Buttars is Don Imus. This was not an innocent slip of the tongue by a good person, but was a instance of unthinkingly letting slip his bigoted hate of anyone of a different color or persuasion than his. This was not out of character for him, but a slip that once more revealed his (lack of) character. He and Ruzicka, along with many others in the buffoon gallery of the legislature and an incompetent president, within the past few years have turned this life-long (65 years) conservative Republican into an independent who is now working actively in support of Democratic candidates at all levels of government. Now he cries foul at being labeled in unfavorable terms, the very act upon which he has built his political career, and tactics that he uses to mobilize the worst of our socitey to follow him. He is reaping what he has sewn. He is not the right person to hold up as an example of PC run amok.

You and he may blame the NAACP for Buttars problems, but he brought it on himself. Voters in Utah are getting tired of the untouchable power exuded by our legislators: dipping into their campaign funds for halloween candy, using taxpayer's funds for soccer stadiums, vouchers. Buttars is a symbol of legislative arrogance and foolishness.
If we want to pick on him. so be it. And now he announces he is running again. He deserves every bit of negative attention he is getting. I think he enjoys it.

Robinson is every bit the elitist and bigot and racist and sexist and homophobe that Buttars is. Both of them should be forced out of their cushion jobs.

If Buttars had made the comment independent of past behaviors of narrow minded thinking...then I would believe he made a mistake. But when put in context of how he's behaved in the past I believe his mistake was letting his tongue slip on how he thinks about minorities.

Good people in Utah find it hard to believe that someone in this day and age could be racist so we continually give them the benefit of the doubt. But the reality is that racism is still alive and well in Utah.

I'm floored watching people's reactions as the LDS church leadership is coming out and imploring people to be compassionate towards immigrants (illegal or otherwise) and the racism in people will not allow them to accept what church leadership is saying.

No one thinks of themselves as racist, but if you see skin color or any ethnic characteristic and assume anything about that individual because of those characteristics - you are the problem.

Great article Doug!! I'm tired of the PC fascist who look for problems where none exist.

Man! the liberal facist come in droves when they smell blood.

Sorry gays not everyone supports your agenda or lifestyle.

Sorry blacks not everyone cares about you either.

But people have the freedom of speech to say so and not lose thier job whether you like it or not.

There in no constituional not to be offended.

Buttars does NOT represent utah to outside of utah, he only represents his constituents to utah.

the liberal facist agenda is to take every opportunity shut down a conservative voice.

The liberal facists in these all these forums about buttars is nothing bu hate speech.

While the consertives have been notheing but willing to give buttars the benefit of the doubt.

Clearly, to liberal facists, diversity means having voices that only agree with them.

There's nothing rote about trying to remove the hateful and bigoted tandem team of Chris Buttars and Gayle Ruzicka from political office. Good-minded, intelligent people have been attempting it for years.

However, in a backwoods Mormon ultraconservative state like Utah that won't happen very readily because there are too many do-good hypocrites like Doug Robinson to keep them in power. And even if they do go there are others to take their place.

Hopefully people like Buttars and his supporters can feel justified when they look at the number of sexually transmissable infections on the increase in Utah because of planned parenthood offices not receiving state monies and legislature promoting abstinence over education. And maybe they can glorify in the number of youth suicides because of the absence of youth support groups at high school campuses.

Robinson, you and Buttars can pat yourselves on the back for those questionable and bigoted achievements. Both of you should be removed from you cushioned positions of promoting poison. The world, at least Utah, would be a much better place without people like you.

Maybe diseases are spread because people are living moral and upright lives.

And nobody said living right would not be hard, especially with quacks constantly attacking them.

Imagine a people being called backwoods. A people who put preium on education than any other.

It's all about a liberal facist agenda who want to shove there values down the throat of every else. NO matter how destructive to society it is. They even want to into grade schools and destroy children with liberal facist ideas.

Doug,

I know Mr. Buttars apologized, but I'm left wondering "what did he mean?" Did he really mean to say it was a loathsome bill? Then why use the word black? I'm about as white as it gets, but I can see why people of color would be offended by people who imply that "black means bad, white means good."

I await his explanation about what he really meant.

I can't believe Doug Robinson's lame defense of Chris Butters. Shame on you, Mr. Robinson for your weak excuses for the kind of behavior that we've become accustomed to by Butters. This man has a long track record of bigoted and hateful behavior. This is not an isolated racist comment from a spiteful old man who still believes this is the 1950s.. He's regularly attacked just abut every group that doesn't conform to his ideal world.

How sad that a public offical can say something like this and remain in office. Even sadder, is a columnist from a publication owned by the LDS Church defending this kind of behavior. You've lost my respect, Mr. Robinson, and the respect of many readers who subscribe to the DMN. How sad.......

We the people of Utah are tired of these legislators who are elected by the people but once in office believe they can say or do anything without being accountable to the public.

Need some examples? Public funding for Real Salt Lake? Vouchers? Ethics Reform and more campaign disclosures? And now dropping racist comments on the floor of the State Senate?

Guess what fellas, the winds are changing....enjoy your time in power. It may not last as long as think it will. Even when you get a shameful excuse written by a hack columnist who fails to offer one solid bit of reasoning in his poor attempt to make excuses for one of the most hateful individuals the state has ever seen. Come to think of it, Mr. Robinson, you should resign, as well.

I thought Chris Butters was stupid. But after reading Doug Robinson's feeble attempt to excuse these terrible comments, I think we've found someone equally stupid!!

I agree.....what was Doug Robinson thinking? Chris Buttars is certainly not someone you want to hold up an example of PC run amok. Come on Robinson, next time use your brain and some common sense when you choose to defend a racist and homophobe who is nothing more than a puppet for the Eagle Forum and their ilk. yuck!!!!!!

Robinson fits right in with the Utah status quo.