Obscenity from the office of the Utah governor

Utah Governor Spencer Cox received a letter last week from an angry constituent who argues that his last name is obscene and should be changed immediately.

“Us decent people here in Utah will not stand for it. The honorable Republican party will not stand for it.”

The person threatens protest and a recall vote. “This is not a communist dictatorship. THIS IS THE GREAT STATE OF UTAH! We don’t accept sick jokes to run rampant in our civil institutions!”

I initially thought the letter was a joke, but upon reading it, I’m not so sure. It sounds sincere. Either that or the person attempting to prank the Governor is tragically unfunny.

Dreadfully unamusing.

The only possible signs that the letter is meant to be funny are the salutation “Dearest” and the valediction “Love.” Other than those two words, there isn’t a drop of satire, sarcasm, or whimsy in the text.

Whatever the intent, I’d very much like to meet this constituent to see what they think of my last name. Then I’d like to introduce them to my father, Les Dicks, my late uncle Harry Dicks, and my late great uncle Harry Dicks.

Even my late uncle Neil Dicks might be interesting.

The Governor’s response to this letter came via Twitter. He wrote:

“Really grateful for the criticism and constructive feedback I get from constituents that demand I… *checks notes* …change my name? ”

Not bad.

The letter was signed “A very concerned citizen.”

In other words, anonymous.

Having once been victimized by a cowardly, ineffective losers who made false and libelous claims while hiding behind the cloak of anonymity, I’m opposed to anonymity in almost all cases. When asked to assess the efficacy of a session of professional development or provide feedback on the performance of a presenter, I often find myself with a form – paper or digital – designed to allow me to remain anonymous while reporting on my opinions.

I always include my name anyway.

We’re adults. If you have constructive criticism, report it politely and specifically. This is what responsible, mature, grown-ass professionals do.

“A very concerned citizen” should’ve done the same, both because it’s the right thing to do and because I would’ve loved to reach out to this person to find out what makes them tick.