Editorial Opinion

Americans should respect Mormons and

stop attacking Romney over his religion
 

Okay to bash Mormons?

The time has come to consider why it is fashionable among many circles of the right wing and the left wing of today’s political terrain, to denigrate Mormons.

Mitt Romney should have to answer why he put the family mutt in a cage and strapped the cage to the top of the family station wagon when they went on vacation.  The dog survived and the incident took place more than 20 years ago when the inside of the vehicle was full of kids and perhaps Romney was just too cheap to put the poor dog in a kennel.

But, come on, that is about the worse that this campaign season has dug up on the guy.

As one of the late night comedians said, one of the candidates in the race for the White House has had three wives and that wasn’t even the Mormon.

Consider the human failings, intentional and unintentional, of the various candidates for office and no one is kicked around as much as Romney, and why?  He is a Mormon.

While Mormon’s have likely contributed to some of the scandals of crime and passion in this country, what they are really known for are being industrious, religious, respectful of others, charitable, considerate and living a Christian life. 

There is a big long road between the life of the typical Mormon in this area and the life of a typical member of the druggie culture and heathen element, which abound in this area.

Yet, the national media and various political pundits and partisans in this campaign for President, have repeatedly cited Romney’s religion as an issue in the campaign.

Not since the 1960 election when John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism was brought forward as an issue, and then promptly dispensed with by the voters of West Virginia when he won that state’s primary in a big way, has the religion of a candidate been used against him or her.

That Barack Obama was born a Muslim has been brought up from time to time, with CNN dispatching a reporter to where he was raised to examine the circumstances of the Islamic school he attended.  Considering the attack on America in 2001 by Muslim fanatics, it is a good question as to whether there are any hidden ties to any candidate for President, by any radical group.

While there are Muslim groups that will moan and groan about discrimination, vetting Obama for any secret ties is good for everyone.

The bottom line is that God must appreciate the way all persons hold him in high regard and it is not up to individuals to judge another person’s religion as long as that person is not trying to blow us up in the name of God.

Mitt Romney may or may not be the best candidate for President.  Given his record, he may make a swell President.  The nation has done worse. 

But the time has come for people to give the man a break about his religion.  If America had more families that were raised the way Romney and his wife have raised theirs, this nation would be a better place.

His changing his mind about certain issues shows that he is a thinking man capable of using his brain to make a different decision.  

The politically correct who dump on Wal-Mart when it has grown and saved consumers money, hired lots of people and filled a need in America’s competitive marketplace, would rather we all spend more than we need to on goods, that less job opportunities exist and that consumer would not have a choice in where to shop.

The politically correct who abhor anyone saying that they don’t believe in Congressman Barney Frank; that they think that marriage should be between a man and woman; who declare that our borders should be secured and that we should put up a fight when it comes to Radical Islamics wanting to scorch our land with bombs and blood have something in common. They don’t see anything wrong with kicking Mormons.

Why?

People of the Mormon faith have long been numbered among our most compassionate neighbors and they have a daggone good choir.

While its okay to joke about presidential candidates, and why not, there is plenty of material, lets maintain respect not only for Muslims but for Mormons too.  While we are at it, how about questioning the growing anti-Catholic bias.  Why is it okay for media commentators to now discount a candidate because he an evangelical?   Our Founding Fathers made it clear that this is a Christian nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles and that we not have a required religion.  But they never said we are to be anti-religion. 

God has blessed America in so many ways, that we take it for granted.  Among God's people are all of those of different religions, who all practice their faith in the way that they see fit.  Our Bill of Rights protects all of us to be free to pray...even the Mormons.