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Letter: Speaking of ‘protecting the children,’ here are some other ideas

(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum watches the Utah special session from the gallery. On Monday, Dec. 2, 2018 during the special session, lawmakers overhauled the Utah Medical Cannabis Act's distribution system, reduced the number of medical marijuana outlets, prohibited edibles and changed the list of illnesses that qualify for cannabis treatments.

Thank God the Utah Legislature, in partnership with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Utah Medical Association and Gayle Ruzicka, “protected the children” with the medical cannabis compromise bill.

One can now assume that this coalition will now work to pass legislation to reduce air pollution in the Salt Lake Valley to "protect the children.” I suppose it makes sense that this coalition will pass legislation to reduce sugar in soft drinks and other food items “to protect the children.” Of course this coalition will pass legislation to enact sensible gun control laws to “protect the children.”

No?

Of course they won’t do anything that will actually protect children. This is what makes the cannabis compromise bill such a pile of hypocritical BS. Every Utahn knows that the LDS Church knew via pre-election polls that it was going to lose the vote on Proposition 2, and thus imposed its “moral authority” over its legislators, assuming, incorrectly, that anyone in favor of cannabis, be it medical or recreational, has no morals.

The LDS Church lost a long time ago its claim to be a higher moral authority when it didn’t support any of the initiatives that would actually protect children.

The LDS Church should have stuck to theological issues and removed itself from interfering in government matters, but it appears that it might take a lawsuit to get the LDS Church to abide by the Utah Constitution.

Ryan Hinkins, Salt Lake City

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