Is It Just Plain Lazy to Write A Conservative Column In St. George? (The Answer is 'Yes') - By Matty Jacobson

Think about it: Writing a conservative column in
St. George is like telling a group of plastic surgeons
that breast augmentation is totally fine.

THE SKEWED REVIEW

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It’s incredibly easy to be an opinion writer, talk show host and, well, civilian in an area where the majority of the populous have the exact same beliefs.

It doesn’t matter which publication I turn to; I see a whole lot of playing safe. We’ve got religious columns written by retirees who’ve served multiple LDS missions, we’ve got opinion articles written by an LDS mother, and we have local talk shows that focus on the Republican demographic and everything the Republican party supposedly stands for: conservative values (whatever those are) and a belief that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is law.

And when it comes to bringing the public what it wants, I think our community’s publications do just that. We’ve got safe and sound authors and talk show hosts who offer safe and sound content to an audience that wants something safe and sound to read and listen to.

I wonder what it would be like to get up every day, write opinion articles on how I think the LDS Church’s latest decision to do this or that is great, how the liberals are destroying America, and how family home evening is the best thing ever. Preaching to the choir is the easiest thing to do.

So you can understand why my little blackbird feathers get easily ruffled when I think about how little work goes into being a conservative opinion writer in St. George. I’m not saying authors who choose to write faith-based, conservatively valued content are bad. But I am wondering, why write articles that are meant to persuade a group of people who are already on your side? It just seems a bit, well, lazy, I guess.

Am I tooting my own horn here? I guess a couple of beeps are in order. I am definitely writing for the St. George minority. I am blasted every week for writing about such controversial topics as marriage equality and scrutinization of faith. It’s not easy to take a beating with each article in the community we live in. But I do it anyway because, as much as some people would like it to be this way, we are not Hildale. We aren’t a bubbled-off city of robots that do what they’re told to do and think what they’re told to think. 

OK, so it is a little bit like that. But that doesn't mean the whole community is full of robots.

St. George is a beautiful place full of beautiful people. But it’s also a harsh environment for those of us who don’t subscribe to the general way of thinking. The truly artistic of us are either driven out of town or made to conform—usually.

So the next time you read an article that’s not about how great it is that the missionary age has been changed or how Mayor McArthur is just a great guy with Dixie spirit, maybe take a second and reflect on how hard it is to write an opposing opinion in this town.

This article is not written just about me, myself and I. If you’ve lived and breathed in St. George, then you’ve also caught wind of a column titled “Erotic Topic,” written by Katie McKellar, which focuses on sex, sexuality, and sexual culture. And you’ve probably heard of another column called “ON Kilter,” by Dallas Hyland.

I’ve spoken with both these individuals, and both have felt the wrath of the community for daring to talk about things like sex and the environment, STDs and local political corruption, masturbation and mismanagement of funds.

So if you haven’t already, check them both out and see a couple of real hardworking authors who are pushing the barriers of communication and thought in a community that, for the most part, will have none of it. 

And if you’re of the “If you don’t like it, then get out” mentality, then I’ll just ask that you silently reflect upon our LDS ancestors who were forced out of many places for their religious beliefs. I’m sure it wasn’t a good feeling for them, and it sure as hell isn’t a good feeling for those of us who feel there is more than one way of living life.