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| An image from the infamous Un-Fair campaign in Duluth |
During the Saturday evening Priesthood Session of the 176th Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2006, then-President Gordon B. Hinckley made a strong statement about racism within LDS ranks. In part, President Hinckley said "I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. How can any man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood whereas another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color, is ineligible?" The full address is entitled "The Need for Greater Kindness".
Apparently Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), a member of the LDS Church, either didn't get that memo or, in the heat of rhetorical battle, temporarily forgot about it, because on July 16th, 2012, he delivered some anti-White race-baiting comments on the floor of the U.S. Senate. During a floor speech in which he was denouncing the flood of outside money in politics after the Citizens United SCOTUS decision and defending Democratic-backed campaign-finance legislation known as the DISCLOSE Act, Sen. Reid made his inflammatory remark, recorded by NPR:
"Perhaps Republicans want to shield a handful of billionaires willing to contribute nine figures to sway a close presidential election. ... If this flood of outside money continues, the day after the election 17 angry old white men will wake up and realize they just bought the country. That's a sad commentary.
"About 60 percent, or more, of these outside dollars are coming from these 17 people ..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICi6pHlzQFo
Senator Reid also denounced Mitt Romney for not releasing his taxes and said Romney's penchant for secrecy make Americans wonder what’s he hiding. Of course, Harry Reid has never publicly asked why Barack Obama initially attached such secrecy to his birth certificate.
Since there is no evidence that race is pertinent to the discussion about the flood of outside money in politics or the proposed DISCLOSE Act, Senator Reid's remarks about "17 angry old white men" can only be interpreted as race-baiting. The effect will be to exacerbate the growing racial tensions within the United States and to empower irresponsible black leaders like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton at the expense of responsible black leaders like Congressman Allen West. It seems like President Hinckley's denunciation of racism would cover race-baiting as well. Reid's worthiness has previously been called into question on the LDS Freedom Forum.
Unfortunately, anti-White race-baiting is part and parcel of the Democratic strategy. Fueled by the false doctrine of "white privilege", the elite in Duluth, Minnesota launched an anti-racist campaign called the "Un-fair Campaign", which targets only Whites with anti-racist propaganda. They presume that only Whites can ever be guilty of racism; they give non-Whites a free pass. The campaign became so divisive and unpopular that the University of Minnesota-Duluth, one of the original partners, pulled out of the campaign, saying that "its focus on white privilege are divisive and have alienated some UMD alumni, supporters and others in the broader community". Some Mormon feminists also use the same divisive tactics in promoting feminism, employing artificial constructs such as "male privilege" and "male gaze".
LDS members who serve in elective political office are not expected to be microphones or rubber stamps for the LDS Church; one can be both a good Mormon AND a Democrat (Utah Congressman Jim Matheson is proof). However, their rhetoric and actions should not flagrantly contravene LDS values. By spewing inflammatory racial rhetoric, Sen. Reid is clearly contravening President Hinckley's counsel on race. While it may not necessarily detract from his Church worthiness, which is between him and his bishop, it certainly detracts from his worthiness to serve in elective office.
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