Opinion Piece Challenges Jon Stewart's Stance on Contempt in Political Discourse
An opinion piece in the Deseret News argues that Jon Stewart fundamentally misunderstands the role of contempt in society, particularly in political discourse. The author, while acknowledging Stewart's intelligence and ability to expose hypocrisy, takes issue with Stewart's assertion that some individuals deserve contempt, as expressed in a recent interview with Utah Governor Spencer Cox. The article posits that while evil and injustice warrant condemnation, treating individuals with differing views with contempt is detrimental to American politics. It highlights the distinction between condemning an idea and dehumanizing a person who holds that idea. The piece references the 'Utah Compromise' of 2015, which addressed same-sex marriage and religious freedom, as an example of how deeply divided groups can find common ground by taking each other's concerns seriously without resorting to contempt. The author contends that Stewart mischaracterized this compromise as requiring LGBTQ+ Utahns to 'bargain for thei...
