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HIGHLAND — Along with referendum votes in some states on such things as legalized marijuana and same-sex marriage, some Utahns today wonder if the state and the nation are going in entirely different directions.
In Highland, Utah, they voted to keep Sunday closing laws. In Colorado, they voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana. It's a cultural difference, for sure, if not necessarily a culture war.
There was cheering at the Democrat's party in Utah, but it left Enid Green Mickelsen wondering where the country is going. As a conservative Republican Mormon mom, she's dismayed by votes in several states to legalize marijuana and same-sex marriage.
The former congresswoman believes such cultural trends are part of what set Mitt Romney apart from Pres. Barack Obama.
"For years, I've had people telling me, ‘Oh, there's no difference between the two parties; doesn't matter who's in charge,'" she said. "I think if you look at last night, you realize there is a significant difference."
Liberal Democrat Holly Mullen, a former columnist who now directs the Rape Recovery Center, agrees the campaign exposed a cultural divide. But to her that's a positive.
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"I don't think there's some dragon at the door, waiting to get into Utahns' homes and disrupt everyone," she said. "For the first time, attention was really focused on the less traditional and the more marginalized subcultures in our society."
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She says some Republicans went too far, for example, in notorious statements about "legitimate rape", while the Obama campaign embraced diversity.
"But in the end, we all want a country that moves forward and appreciates people, and I do believe appreciates diversity," she said. "And to not approach that in a fear-based way or an anxious way, to be open to it."
Mickelsen said Utahns have always thought of themselves as part of silent majority on cultural issues. Last night's deeply divided vote made her wonder.
"What kind of society do we agree upon that we want? And are we really that evenly divided?" she asked. "And if so, how do you ever come to a compromise and figure out what it is we want to do to move the country forward?"
Pres. Obama and Mitt Romney both appealed to Americans last night to come together and work toward compromise, in spite of their differences.
