I'm back to letter writing... my right elbow has been giving me a lot of grief. After ruling out spin classes and bike riding and funny sleep patterns I realized that it is my computer, how I sit and especially how I use the track pad and not the mouse (too many papers to the right of my computer!). I've taken a break from all things on the computer, blog included. It has helped.
On Thursday, while frantically putting finishing touches on my stuff for the Beehive Bazaar I was listening to KUER, local public radio. There is other public radio in Utah County but not much. The locally produced interview show, Radio West, is notoriously anti-Mormon. The show that day, being polite here, was about how the pioneers were so senseless to have traveled by foot across the country in all kinds of weather. I snapped. I registered to leave a comment, which of course took too long so I just left the computer and got back to work. When I came back everything had cleared up, online and in my head, and I quickly wrote the following:
~~To read the 37 (last I checked) other comments and KUER's reply go here (http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/posts/list/1965810.page).
Once again KUER and Doug Fabrizio are on the attack of anything Mormon, or anything honestly faithful, no matter the religion. This time it is the Mormon pioneers' judgment, core faith and lives.
As I listened I couldn't believe Mr. Roberts' tone. At first I thought I was simply defensive, my ancestors were pioneers and my daughter went on a trek, but then I couldn't believe how this guy could be so pejorative about history and especially the cost of human lives in the pursuit of a better life. I almost expected him to say, "Those imbecilic pioneers, what were they thinking to leave without silk underwear and a GPS?" Doesn't he, and Mr. Fabrizio, realize that 1847 is not a lifetime away from ours, it is a galaxy? At that time there wasn't even plumbing in the White House! The building of the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, using his logic, were nothing more than a waste of human energy. Lives were lost building the Golden Gate Bridge -- they never should have tried before there was the right technology, or 100% faultless judgment.
What is David Roberts' family history? And Doug Fabrizio's? (I'm not interested enough to criticize it. Just wondering if they personally care.) Don't they find ceaselessly finding fault with others' history, faith and experiences tiresome? I agree with the other comment, with hindsight it is easy to criticize the past. It is easy to criticize and difficult to explain.
KUER (a Utah based station) and Doug Fabrizio in particular, seem to delight in Mormon-bashing. Another example of this was days after President Hinkley died Mr. Fabrizio dug deep enough to find fault, when many in this community were mourning. Why not take on the pioneer history so many Utahn's personally revere and have tried to understand?
Also, why wasn't a Mormon historian on the show to shine light on the aspersions Mr. Roberts cast? Please at lease try to be more balanced.
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