In a radio interview Salt Lake City Mayor “Rocky” Anderson described anyone who mentions the religious background of the accused Trolley Square Murderer, Sulejman Talovic, to be “spreading hate.” He said the police and FBI have found absolutely no tie to Talovic’s religious background (Muslim) and the shooting rampage that he’s accused of. Further, Rocky accuses anyone that draws reference to Talovic’s Muslim heritage as “dividing our community along religious-lines” and that it “will not be tolerated.

In the same radio interview, Rocky also mentioned Talovic as being a “troubled young man” (18).

Rocky, have the police or FBI turned up anything that ties this individual’s age to the shooting? No? Then aren’t you spreading hate on the basis of age? Aren’t you’re dividing our community along age-lines!

Rocky, have the police or FBI turned up anything that ties this individual’s sex to the shooting? No? Then aren’t you spreading hate on the basis of sex? Aren’t you dividing our community along sex-lines?

How can you claim that identifying his religious background is hate-mongering, yet identifying his age and sex are not? They’re just personal characteristics!

So, tell me Mayor Rocky, are you a hate-monger or a hypocrite?