THE REIGN OF THE USSR n In the mid-1900s, the Soviet Union reigned in terror among vast portions of eastern Europe. Its inability to lead and maintain a stable government became more apparent as the freedoms of citizens of the USSR were stripped away. The State controlled speech, property, commerce, religion, and social interaction. nn…
The 2022 midterm elections are now over, and although final vote counts in some states are still trickling in as this is being written, the result is clear. Despite the Republican Party’s position out of power, 8% inflation, and an unpopular president, the hoped-for red wave did not materialize. In fact, Republicans had a historically…
WHITENESS THEORY n Whiteness Theory, the discussion for ,Week 10 of Ryan Gabriel’s graduate class, is a theory that designates certain characteristics, experiences, and privileges as unique only to the white race. Further explaining this idea in his 2021 ,BYU Devotional titled “Healing Racism Through Jesus Christ,” he said: n “As I mentioned before, being…
The Doctrine of Belonging On October 1st, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints (BYU’s sponsoring institution) gave a talk titled “The Doctrine of Belonging,” addressing how unity in the church is possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ. As the talk went on, some people on Twitter suggested that…
Last year, when BYU football beat Utah for the first time in a decade, students stormed the field and celebrated the momentous victory. In 2018, students packed the Smith Fieldhouse to watch BYU women’s volleyball beat Texas to advance to the Final Four. While the crowds may have been different sizes, the environment at both…
To make it clear from the get-go, I am not a conservative. So, when I was invited to write this op-ed, I was excited to share my viewpoints and observations. I was asked to write about the destructive nature of identity politics and the political divisions between the right and the left, and perhaps my…