Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson

In Utah, an Opponent of the ‘Culture of Obedience’

“There’s a real resistance to change and an almost pathological devotion to leaders simply because they’re leaders,” he said, in describing fellow Utahans who do not share his views and who in large numbers support the president (and gave him 72 percent of their vote in 2004). “There’s a dangerous culture of obedience throughout much of this country that’s worse in Utah than anywhere.”

Mr. Anderson, a 55-year-old lapsed Mormon* and former civil litigator with a rich baritone and a mane of patrician-silver hair, is no stranger to strong talk and political stances that leave his audiences breathless with exasperation, admiration or sometimes a mixture of both.

Critics and supporters alike agree that Mr. Anderson — whose given name is Ross but who is known by almost everyone here as Rocky, with no last name necessary — is genuinely passionate and devoted to the causes he has brought to the mayor’s office, including global warming, genocide in Darfur, gay and lesbian rights and the war in Iraq.

Mr. Anderson announced last July that he would not seek a third term, saying he wanted to devote the rest of his life to grass-roots organizing involving human rights and global warming. He said in the interview that he had not made specific plans.

Salt Lake City Mayor's Website

Video: Salt Lake City, Utah mayor slams 'dishonest, war-mongering' Bush from Aigust 31, 2006 at Raw Story.


Bill O'Reilly Shows His True Depth With Salt Lake City Mayor


My limerick for Bill O'Reilly:

There once was a man named O'Reilly
Who thought of himself oh so highly
With artful Aggression
He gained some attention
And also a new name: O'Lielly

*lapsed Mormon:When a Mormon stops accepting the binding truth of prophetic revelation, he effectively becomes a lapsed Mormon. I never heard that term before and I've known some LDS folks and some very well.

I have heard of a Jack Mormon: The term Jack Mormon is a slang term that originated in the nineteenth century. It was used to describe somebody who was not officially a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or LDS Church), but who was friendly to Church members and Mormonism, sympathized with them, and/or took an active interest in their belief system.

In today's Mormon culture, the term "dry-Mormon" is its equivalent. Sometime in the early to mid twentieth century, the term changed culturally to refer to someone deemed by LDS adherents to be an inactive or lapsed member of the LDS Church who maintained good relations with and positive feelings toward the Church. It has also been used humorously to describe Church members who were registered Democrats in the early 1980s.


me in the EE with RockEE