facebook-pixel

Letter: Sen. Mike Lee’s tricky wordplay

(Susan Walsh | AP file photo, pool)  Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 10, 2020.

(Susan Walsh | AP file photo, pool) Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, speaks during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 10, 2020.

So Mike Lee wants to redefine America as “not a democracy.” He prefers to call it a republic. I believe what Lee and his cohorts are trying to do is to use semantics to make us believe that “republic equals good” and “democracy equals bad.” You see, this way he can convince people to believe that Republicans are the good party and Democrats are the bad guys.

Trying to instill fear and shame in certain words is a trend these days. Another word being purported to be an unacceptable method of governing is “socialist,” but if you are a working stiff like most of us, socialism by definition is empowering. Socialism: “a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.” Mixing a little socialism with our capitalistic society as advocated by Bernie Sanders and others is worth consideration.

Holly Rio, Draper

Submit a letter to the editor

Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.