Introduction and Objectives of this Blog

This is my first post for a blog designed specifically to talk about politics in Utah. Some national and world issues may creep into the discussion, but it is my intent to keep things as local as possible. Utah is a unique state with a significant conservative slant in the populace and the people they elect. My own politics will noticeably be left of center by Utah standards. But I believe Utah needs an alternative voice in this wilderness of unfettered conservative hegemony.

My goal is to be provocative, yet respectful. If the political landscape is to change in Utah, more people must be persuaded away from ideologies that so many people accept out of mere tradition and expectation. At times, the underlying assumptions that drive many Utahns to the positions they hold will be brought under scrutiny on this blog. The intent is not to attack people, but to challenge their beliefs and the paradigms that led to them.

It is also the intent of this blog for me to get appropriate feedback. If my ideas cannot withstand the bright lights of discourse, then they need to be reconsidered. My father once told me "if you are that sure of yourself, you might want to reconsider." Politics subject the human mind to competing interests and competing priorities. As a result, most issues are rarely black or white, but every shade of gray. Recognizing this reality, the goal of my writing is always to articulate what I understand, change it as I digest more information, and try to reach correct conclusions based upon the weight of the evidence.