Reader comments
Buttars says issue is closed
107 comments | Read story
It would appear that the Senator just wants this to all go away and move forward. Please think before you speak as more and more eyes will be on you and your remarks. (Constituents of West and South Jordan.)
I thought Utahns were better than this. Apparently not.
No wonder Romney didn't make the cut.
Sorry, Buttars, but you don't get to decide when it's closed. Hopefully it'll stay open until you disappear from the public eye.
The sooner you do that, the better.
Buttars simply mixed up (and mis-matched) his metaphores in a very unfortunate way. Hey, I'd like to see Buttars out of the Senate too, but not because I think he is racist. He's probably not. Quit being so ultra-sensitive. Buttars is obviously not a very good impromptu orator, but most of you would say a few stupid things if you were in his place too.
He has helped thousands of young men at the Boy's Ranch over a decade of service to them...Black, White and Brown. Ask them if any felt he was partial to any race? Many a family will tell you that he saved their son's life as they worked to get them off drugs or deal with difficult teenage issues. He has been a champion of conservative values...the same values that our electorate supports. There are some liberal, divisive groups that pounce on this, not because they truly believe that Buttars is a racist, (they have precious little evidence for that for a man who has live as long as he has) but because he has effectively fought against their liberal agenda which most Utahns abhore. This is their attempt to mute a conservative voice who doesn't agree with them.
I've been heavily involved in the legislature for as long as Buttars's been there and he has made far more derogatory statements than those that have been reported. He is a racist, a bigot, and a male chauvinist of the worst stripe.
As to those who don't see a problem with what he said, I find it interesting that we Mormons who have been so sensitive to criticism during Mitt's White House run can't put ourselves in the other's shoes. What if an non-Mormon legislator had said, "This is an ugly Mormon baby" or "this is a Mormon polygamist such and such?" YOu can bet every senator in that chamber would have flipped around.
Don't file for re-election Buttars. Let someone else take your place. It will still be a Republican anyway.
Quit saying Buttars is probably not racist; he is. Lots of LDS people his age are, they say they're not but they still believe the Lamanites dark skin etc. Sad but true.
He is not guilty of a crime against humanity, as many of you seem to insinuate.
This scuffy newspaper is embarrassing itself with their foolish Editorial about this tempest in a teapot. And , of course, Bernick does his usual liberal reporter thing in his crummy piece.
Democracy in America is dead if the silly sentiments voiced in these rants become the standard for representatives in our society.
W J Resident
Does anyone seriously believe the Senator was refering to the race and not a definition of black more like this one?
The old saying is true "You find what you're looking for."
The real issue is whether Chris is a racist. I don't believe he is and he recognized his mistake and asked for forgiveness. I think the proper thing to do her is accept the apology and forgive him rather than demand he resign.
For those in the Republican Party who are embarrassed by Chris's antics I have a suggestion. Show up to your own mass meetings, become a delegate, and show up to your own convention! You may be shocked to find that those who are showing up are far closer to Chris Buttar's temperament than you may care for.
"this issue is done as far as I'm concerned."
I think others should learn to use this quote.
Michael Vick could have told Federal prosecutors "this issue is done as far as I'm concerned."
Bill Clinton could have told the reportes investigating the Monica Lewinski thing ""this issue is done as far as I'm concerned."
Roger Celmmons should have said yesterday "this issue is done as far as I'm concerned."
Wouldn't it be cool to be a Levithan like Buttars, half man half God, who answers to no one, and is above the law...
Hey, I'm a Bigoted, Racist, Homophobe who thinks the Brown v. Board of Education Decision was wrong, but hey, "this issue is done as far as I'm concerned."
What if the word "black" was replaced by the word "mormon"
Then, would you see the offensiveness of the statement?
And to wit, the NAACP should equally go after the Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, entertainers, music artists, etc. types as well. If your going to fight this type of behavior, don't be two faced about it. Fight it on all sides.
Most offensive to me in this matter are Valentine, Hickman and the likes up there on the hill. They either didn't notice, or didn't care enough to say anything if they did notice when it happeneing on recored right in front of them. Thanks to Sen Romero for being brave enough to bring it to their attention, he should commended. Valentine should be ashamed of himself. He too should aplologize and resign.
To MadAtAll: When are you ever not MAD?
To John: Finish the scripture, "go and sin no more" When did it become a sin to make a comment?
To Just The Latest: Get a new name, your post reeks of the same thing you accuse others of.
To Pocket Fishmen: all the examples you list are suspected of crimes. What crime does expressing an opinion violate?
The other person is insane and where is he insance, why, where he disagrees with you?
Dead issue.
It seems that people are being way too sensitive here. This is an issue of semantics and equivocation. I don't think he meant it as a racial slur at all, although it was a poor choice of words. Although I don't agree with Buttars on everything, I give him credit for standing up to his critics.
Add your comment
Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.
E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.
- Heroine names: Worthy women, icons 2:44 p.m.
- Open letter to son on 16th birthday 2:41 p.m.
- Bamboo not an instant nightmare 2:40 p.m.
- Yardsmart: Delectable winter greens 2:37 p.m.
- Flowers in a beautiful setting 2:35 p.m.
- Dealing with pet ear injuries 2:34 p.m.
- Smooth talk wrinkles mall walk 2:32 p.m.
- School treasures discovered in attic 2:26 p.m.
- BYU leads UNM 17-7 at half 1:50 p.m.
- Snowstorm hits Utah; 1 dead 1:11 p.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
- Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
- D-Will home for daughter
- Bench proves fruitful for Y.
- Man killed during 3rd I-15 crash
- Utes excited for 'dream' game
- Born of water and the spirit
- Williams leaves, won't play tonight
- Woods Cross refinery to shut down
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
352 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - Senators want food tax restored
164 - Will state consider gay rights law?
146 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
118 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
104 - Celtics crush Jazz
104
If you are looking for a bird on the cheap, the following specials from...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
Mexicans are not coming here because there are no jobs for them. The border...
Frogs may taste like chicking, but horned frogs don't. Horned frogs are...
BYU is not the good
I have always found it interesting...that so many who profess to be followers...
Al Gore is laughing all the way to the bank!
they got their game back against wyoming, and maybe feel they can rest on...
Spend money like a drunken sailor and when that backfires, pretend you are...
17-13 in the 3rd Qtr. Wow!! Way to show your dominance Koogs!!
No One Cares. Just like the UFL No One Cares.
Half of our debt is from Bush's tax cuts for the rich that we couldn't...


The reason: he is a racist and is bringing disgrace to his people, his state and his church.
Please don't anyone be mistaken, Sen. Stephenson used the metaphor of a human baby to make his point. He described this baby as "ugly." Buttars felt more strongly. The human baby was not only ugly, but black.
That is racist. Just go away Buttars. You are a mean, bad person who is bad for all conservatives because you feed the stereotype that we are uneducated and racist.
And we are not, you are.