I just got back from driving the ward youth to the stake dance; it was held in a ward the other side of the stake from us - about a two hour drive. I remember as a youth we had one of those extreme rightwing, authoritarian types as a young men's president. His warped worldviews pervaded the whole program, but especially at dances. We couldn't play any songs that may in some paranoid delusion be connected to anything he thought was evil. Stuff like no The Fixx, because that was a slang term for a drug deal, or the Culture Club because they were gay. He was really a big proponent that back masking was the music world's way for turning us to the church of satan. With the sheer nutjobness of it all, it still boggles my mind that he could remain YMP. (though due to all the "lessons" he gave I still can't hear Another One Bites the Dust without thinking of marijuana).
Anyways, after eight months of this it was time for Ward Conference, a time for everyone to sustain their leaders. We as the young men took our time to do some research and learned that while we really would have a hard time voting nay for him, we did to a boy abstain from voting for him at the designated time. Given that ten of us were up front to pass the sacrament, it made a very loud statement to the Bishop, Stake President, and the congregation as a whole. Two weeks later we got a new guy in charge, and Brother King - where ever you are now - you were fantastic. One of my proudest moments as a member of the church.
At today's dance, while I sat in the lobby reading the below book, I heard this, among other things, being played loudly.
Times have changed indeed. For the better.
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