Dear HCN,
Tim Westby’s article on
Rocky Anderson highlighted well some of our mayor’s controversies,
political integrity and impressive achievements (HCN, 7/2/01: A
maverick mayor takes on sprawl). However, it also presented a
stereotypical caricature about “Mormons” and the “Mormon” Church.
Anderson’s “lapsed Mormon” status is emphasized along with the
“polar opposite” of an influential “devout Mormon” who opposes
commuter rail. Implied is that all devout Mormons are Republicans
who want to be a car-driving society and who do not care about
urban sprawl. Your same issue carried an article praising the
efforts of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., to stop the storage of nuclear
waste in Yucca Mountain, but that article (appropriately) did not
mention that Sen. Reid is a member of the Mormon Church. Rational
discussion of environmental issues is not enhanced by religious
stereotyping.
Joseph B.
Stanford
Salt Lake City, Utah
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline ‘Mormon’ stereotyping not helpful.
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