Chris Buttars Earns Wikipedia Page

Contents

See for yourself.

At their most objective the editors of the page allowed the following statement:

"Buttars has been the source of criticism and controversy regarding several issues including intelligent design, racism, and homosexuality and has received national media attention."

Yeah, more "national media attention" for Utah.  I can't imagine the Utah Chamber of Commerce cheering about that.  Is it any wonder the Utah sterotype remains something along the lines of backwater of bigots?

The page goes on to discuss:

Intelligent design

During the 2006 General Session of the 56th Utah State Legislature Buttars sponsored S.B. 96, which would have required the Utah State Board of Education to "establish curriculum requirements that stress that not all scientists agree on which theory regarding the origins of life, or the origins of the present state of the human race, is correct, and do not endorse a particular theory regarding the origins of life or the origins of the present state of the human race; and [that] grants rulemaking authority to the State Board of Education." ^[3] Critics of this bill claim that it advances a pro-Intelligent Design ("Divine Design" in Buttars' words) agenda. ^[4][5]

Racism

In an interview with radio hosts Tom Grover & Ryan Yonk, Buttars said that he "[doesn't] know of an example where the minority is being jeopardized by legislative action." When Grover mentioned Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated American schools, Buttars responded that he thought "Brown v. Board of Education is wrong to begin with." Buttars declined to elaborate on his statement at that time. ^[6] In response to public reaction to his statements and accusations of racism, Buttars responded, "I don't think there's a racial [sic] bone in my body... "I don't see black and white. I see people. I always have." ^[7]

During a debate of a school-funding bill on the floor of the State Senate in February 2008, the bill's sponsor compared the bill to the baby involved in the Biblical story of King Solomon.^[8] Buttars responded saying, "This baby is black, I'll tell you. This is a dark, ugly thing."^[8] Buttars apologized for a remark on the State Senate floor,^[9] saying, "I got a little carried away, and I made a comment that I think a lot of people could take as racist. I certainly did not mean that in any way, but it was wrong and could easily be taken in just that way. I apologize to anyone who took offense."^[10] The president of the Salt Lake City branch of the NAACP felt that Buttars should resign from the Senate,^[11] saying, "It's not the first time he's made derogatory remarks. ... If he feels comfortable enough to sit up in the Senate and say those things that are harmful, he doesn't belong in the Senate."^[12] Buttars says he will will not resign and will seek re-election.^[13] In an interview, Buttars said, "We live in a very, very sensitive world. Although what I said had literally nothing in my mind to do with a human being at all — we were talking about an ugly bill — I made a statement that could be easily misinterpreted, and it was."^[13] Buttars also said that he has been the victim of a "hate lynch mob" since making the comment.^[12] A member of the NAACP branch responded saying, "The man knows nothing about what a lynch mob is. It is an insult for a man to say he is getting lynched when we know what real lynchings are."^[14] Buttars said he did not understand why people would feel affronted by comparing himself to a victim of a lynching.^[14] Buttars had intended to meet with the NAACP branch to apologize and ask them to recind their demands for his resignation, but he decided not to meet with them because the NAACP branch wanted to make the meeting public.^[14]

Homosexuality

Buttars has been outspoken on issues dealing with homosexuality, such as Utah Constitutional Amendment 3, which defined marriage in Utah as consisting "only of the legal union between a man and a woman." ^[15] Buttars criticized the domestic partnership executive order signed by Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. ^[15] Buttars also introduced legislation that would ban gay clubs and gay-straight alliances in public schools. ^[16] In 2008 Salt Lake City's newly elected Mayor Ralph Becker (Utah) introduced a domestic partnership registry that was unanimously approved by the City Council. On February 11, 2008 Senator Buttars introduced the bill SB0267 designed to prevent cities or counties from operating any kind of domestic partnership registry, alleging such registries would violate Utah Constitutional Amendment 3 regarding same-sex marriage and domestic unions.^[17]