This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2004, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

If John Kennedy were writing Profiles in Courage today, there might well be a chapter about Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.

Mr. Shurtleff's ability to both see the flaws in the ill-considered gay marriage amendment (Amendment 3) and to speak out against them is a lesson for Utah's other politicians. In a world full of focus groups, polling numbers and high-priced consultants, Shurtleff simply decided to tell the truth and do what's right and disregard the politics.

Politics needs not only more Mark Shurtleffs but also more of Mark Shurtleff.

Jim Dabakis

Salt Lake City