According to Greek mythology, Pandora was a woman who had in her possession a box containing all misery and evil. Though warned not to, she succumbed to her curiosity and opened her box, releasing into the world all of the evils found here today. 

While Gov. Spencer Cox is not exactly the same as this curious woman from Greek mythology, he is in possession of his own box. As Utah’s governor, he ultimately decides which bills passed by the legislature pass into law and which bills receive veto.

Unfortunately for the state of Utah, he has decided to open his box. Cox has decided to push a variety of racist, transphobic and otherwise harmful legislation into Utah law.  

We are in the midst of the busiest time for the Utah State Legislature. As the 2024 Legislative Session progresses, Utah’s politics regress to times gone by. To many, the actions of the legislature show that these lawmakers actively attempt to erase much of the well-meaning progress that has improved our state. 

Much like the opening of Pandora’s box, Cox’s actions release evil and misery into the state of Utah and into the lives of many of his constituents. 

The Right Kind of Conflict?

Cox is not shying away from passing legislation that many find offensive, harmful and hypocritical. He argues Utahns must learn to “disagree better.” In order to “disagree better,” he says we must embrace divisiveness in a respectful way. According to Cox, there is a right kind of conflict. 

It is becoming increasingly apparent that when Cox calls for Utahns to disagree better, he means one side should quietly succumb to the will of another. 

Among other laws passed, he has banned his transgender constituents from entering public restrooms and demolished diversity programs within public education. 

Cox claims one thing but his actions speak to his true intentions. The governor who calls for his state to build bridges simply cannot be the same one to actively tear them down. His behavior is hypocritical and shameful. The types of conflict he allows within his legislature comes nowhere close to being respectful.

A Step Forward

Cox is not unaware of his position of power. For example, his recent call for the Utah School Board to hold Natalie Cline accountable is a step in the right direction. But Cox needs to hold himself just as accountable. If he wants to call out harm against children, he first needs to acknowledge the harm that he has caused children through the bills he’s signed. 

He can start by listening to the backlash from people across his state. His constituents are calling to him for change — constituents from all sides.

Cox’s actions make Utah a dangerous place for his marginalized constituents. We have to wonder how much he cares about the voices of constituents who disagree with him. 

Cox represents all of Utah. He needs to start acting like it.

‘Both Sides of the Aisle’

“Reaching across the aisle” seems to be a favorite phrase of Cox. He dreams of a Utah where people on opposite sides of the political scale can “disagree better” and “stand united.”

Still, we must remember, both sides of the aisle are not made equal — and they never have been. 

One side perpetuates violence against transgender people. 

One side seeks to obliterate all progress made to diversify our public education system. 

One side continues to show over and over again how poorly they listen and how little they care. 

We can’t reach across the aisle when one side seeks to tear down the other, silencing any voices that oppose it. 

Stand United

When Pandora opened her box, she shut the lid before one last concept could escape: hope.

As hope remained alone, locked inside Pandora’s Box, the world became swamped with misery, its literal only hope locked away. 

Utahns live in this miserable world. 

We live in a world where people in positions of power actively bar others “across the aisle” from entering public restrooms, from feeling welcome within educational institutions, from being treated like human beings. 

Cox has the power to reopen his box. He holds the power to change Utah for the better. He can release hope back into the world and give us all a reason to push forward, reach across the aisle, and stand united. 

But right now, he’s not. Right now, Cox hides behind empty claims of asking his constituents to disagree better. 

We are not calling for him to step down. But we are calling for him to be better. 

The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board is a group of senior opinion journalists who rely on research and debate to write staff editorials. Editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board and are written separately from the newsroom.