As this excellent editorial recites, some of the more "pushy" Kaysville city council brothers in Mr. Mac suits have informally decided to close down recreational opportunities for kids of all religious persuasions on Monday nights in Kaysville, in order to accommodate the L.D.S. "family home evening."
We incorporate here a few key paragraphs of today's magnificent pro-liberty editorial:
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, the government "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ..." City governments must be neutral when it comes to religion. They should neither promote nor prohibit religious observances.
If a family, LDS or not, believes that Monday night -- or any other night -- should be set aside for worship or obedience to the doctrines of their faith, they have a choice to make between recreational sports and adherence to their religious philosophy. But they must not depend on the state, or in this case the city, to make that choice for them, because it is an impingement on the secular freedoms of their neighbor who does not share that belief.
It is precisely this sort of well-intentioned intrusion into the lives of non-Mormons in Utah that fosters resentment and furthers the cultural divisions within our communities.
"Halleluja," we say. Make that a "double, we add, in honor of the upcoming New Years' Eve Holiday. We also wonder why L.D.S. families in can't incorporate Monday night sports/recrearation activities into a true family gathering. Your blogmeister springs from a family of hockey players. Some of out best family-bonding experiences sprang from local week-day sports events, with young family members occasionally (and always wrongfully) cooling their heels in the penalty-box.
We can't doff our headgear fast enough to congratulate the Standard-Examiner today.
Whereas we often criticize our home town paper for it's seeming mealy-mouth attitude toward certain local municipal totalitarian types who wear the trapping of the L.D.S. faith, it's nevertheless encouraging to witness the Standard-Examiner standing up for "what's right" today.
On another note, we learn from this morning's Std-Ex edition that another Emerald City career attorney will be flying the City Hall Chicken coop.
Andrea Lockwood, another city attorney with zero apparent recent courtroom experience, has now reportedly been appointed by Matt Godfrey to don a dark judicial robe, pound a gavel in a courtroom in Emerald City's Kangaroo Court, and extract revenue from we lumpencitizens.
God help Judge Lockwood if any experienced trial attorney shows up in her courtroom to make an objection. God help any pro-se litigant who tries to do the same. The rules of evidence and procedure are complicated enough for seasoned litigators. We think she'll soon find herself way over her head. We don't envy her in this, and in fact offer our sincere sympathy.
Having said that, we congratulate Ms. Lockwood for this latest career move. After a distinguished career in city government, she moves out of the limelight, just as the corrupt Boss Godfrey empire comes tumbling down. Very smart, wethink.
Comments are invited, of course.
Update 12/30/06 5:37 a.m. MT: The Standard-Examiner is truly a wonder to behold when it embarks upon one of its infrequent crusades. In that connection, read today's guest commentary on this subject here.