Here is an example of Utah's wild west tendencies:
But it's not all gun shops in Utah. In fact, what I have discovered is that Salt Lake is, as most cities here are, a progressive enclave in a very, very conservative state. The county did vote for McCain by a very small margin (under 2,000 votes), but you might not even guess that by spending some time here.
Public transit here is pretty solid. There is light rail and a free-fare zone. There are a couple of other reasons to call this place progressive, bu my stupid mind has forgotten for the moment. That's a bit disappointing.
I think there was some kind of protest on Capitol Hill yesterday. Something about religion. A guy at a coffee shop just down the street from that gun shop told me that it really is a big deal here, but beneath the surface. It has replaced the racism of his southern upbringing, he said.
I saw some signs on both sides at the Hill.
Oh, here is another shot of the State Capitol. As you can see, Americans love domes.
They also love Capitol Hills. As far as such climbs go, Utah might have the country beaten.
Ouch. But the view from the top? Check this out:
I probably lost a gallon (hey, I'm in America) of water walking up and around this driest of climates, so I am now rehydrating. On to the next stop!
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3 comments:
Thanks for these pictures. I think the first one struck me the most. A gun shop AND clothing store?? And optics. It took me a moment to figure out that 166 is the address, not a product.
Guns, reloading? Eeek! Someone has a gun and they can't put ammo in it themselves. OK, then buy an outfit and pay for it with a loan. This photo is worth gazillions as a statement about "the West." So, um, how far down the street was the liquor emporium?
i think they were protesting the passage of proposition 8, constitutional ban on gay marriage in california. the mormon church encouraged folks in cali to vote against it.
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