Doug Robinson points out that Mitt Romney's faith is unfairly the butt of jokes and the focus of criticism (Jan. 8). Fair enough, I suppose. But much of the anxiety about the would-be Mormon president has some merit.
For years now we have endured a Republican president who claims to speak to God and who very openly credits his costly and deadly decisions to those divine conversations. My worry is that the trend of "divine action" may continue with Romney in the White House. I'm talking about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people.
If Romney justifies his actions based on his faith, LGBTQ people will be alienated. African-Americans and women do not have "official stances" of hate toward other groups of people. The LDS Church does. The fact that hate and exclusion are not generally tolerated anymore, coupled with the faith-influenced track record of our Republican president, is perhaps the reason people feel justified criticizing a Mormon Republican presidential candidate.
Daren C. Brabham
Salt Lake City