Death Threats for Goblin Valley Rock Tumblers: an OP ED (ok, yes, it's a rant, sheesh)

By this point we've all pretty much seen the video. If you haven't, here it is, one more time, so you can see the raw footage of these self described "heroes" as they attempt to dislodge a rock formation, known as a hoodoo, that's been sitting there since the Jurassic period so it wouldn't "fall over and hit some little kid." Let's all be  honest, here. If they were really that concerned that a hoodoo was going to randomly fall and kill some random kid, they would have gone on a hoodoo toppling spree all over the park.

I won't even get into the "wiggle it just a little bit" sing-song voice the guy holding the camera had going on while filming this. Nor will I go into the little dance the guy on the other rock was doing after "muscles" pushed the rock over. Believe it or not, I'm not going to go into the "modified Goblin Valley" comment the videographer made while filming this.

All of these things, the reactions, the big fun atmosphere of the situation, speak for themselves. These things are self evident and in my mind show full and well the intent behind toppling the boulder from it's perch.

For those of you unfamiliar with Goblin Valley, it was discovered in modern times in the 1920's, proposed to be established as a park in the 1950's in order to protect the area from vandalism, was established as such in the 1960's, and survived the Jurassic era on up through the millennia to naturally erode into some of the breathtaking and incredible natural scenery that exists today when visitors come to hike and camp in the park. Survival, in it's natural state, until three knuckleheads come along to one of the hoodoos and decide to "wiggle it...just a little bit."

Granted, this incident does, clearly, indicate willful and deliberate vandalism on the part of these guys involved in the video footage. No matter how they justify it or defend their actions, the footage speaks for itself.

That being said.

The consequences of their actions should be left up to the legal system, not to a gaggle of lynch happy environmentalist nutcases sending in cards, letters, text messages, telegrams, carrier pigeon messages, airmail, email, sea mail, snail mail, and chain mail (um, yeah, scratch that last one) threatening their lives for disturbing the landscape because they consider it to be "very, very sacred." Death threats are not the answer here, but to some, this sort of knee-jerk reaction is a common sort of thing in response to the "harming of mother Earth."

Please.

"Mother Earth" is more than capable of handling herself, and would be much better off without the interference of humankind in other, far more destructive to the environment practices, such as the dredging of wetlands in order to make dwellings and shopping malls, oil spills in the oceans, clear cutting instead of select cutting, relocation of animal species from their native environments and introducing predatory species into regions where they have never been or have naturally migrated from through the years in order to "control" other populations rather than letting those species be hunted (such as introducing rattlesnakes into regions in North America in order to keep wild turkey populations down by the snakes eating the turkey eggs), and other such large scale changes to the face of the planet. The toppling over of one rock in one state park is not even a grain of sand in comparison to some of the things done, commercially, around the world on any given day, but these things are ignored.

It literally pales in comparison, and the event does not warrant death threats to be made against these individuals. First off, let the legal system work, and let them be charged. It seems a no brainer that the charge should be vandalism. Secondly, as these individuals were out on this rock toppling outing, let their community ostracize them in their own way, as I'm sure it is already doing. Who would want to be, at this point, the guy who pushed the rock over, coming home to face his wife and family? Not to mention his coworkers and the people in his neighborhood. Thirdly, let the Boy Scouts of America deal with them as well, as they were out for an official Boy Scout outing while they were visiting the park. While I have my own issues with the Boy Scouts of America over some of their more recent controversial decisions, this is a matter that they need to deal with and address, as well as take a look at what other recent policy decisions that they have made, as a body, which would leave them open to such scrutiny as this, as well as other scrutiny.

The bottom line is this: no people or animals were injured during the filming of this idiotic stunt. There is no monetary loss that has resulted from it. The stars have not misaligned, the polar caps have not reversed, there were no earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, whirlpools, tornadoes, landslides, mudslides, nor death by chocolate involved in this stunt. It was simply that, a stupid stunt.

To all of you people out there getting your collective panties in a wad over something that really, in the end, is a trivial local matter to be handled by park officials in Utah, GET OVER YOURSELVES. STOP MAKING DEATH THREATS. The making of a death threat is something that should be done with careful consideration over the events leading up to the making of such a threat. Death threats are to be made only as a retribution for such dire events as rape, homicides, mass murder, ethnic cleansing, and, occasionally, by certain female members of the species toward their male household members for leaving the toilet seat up. When we, as individuals, do such things as make death threats for something like these bone heads have done, we show ourselves to be mindless little reactionaries who give no thought. Yes, I meant to leave the sentence on that. If you get so upset over the toppling of a rock by some moron that you stoop to making death threats over it then you are a non thinking individual and perhaps, in the final analysis,  you are the one who should be considered for termination yourself.

Something to think about.

Unfortunately, thought seems to have left the building on this one.

Sic vis pacem parabellum.

MT

This Can NOT Be Defined As Patriotic Protest

[UPDATE, 18:40 CST] Amy Proctor has a video clip here at her site. Go check it out, and see if it doesn't affect you.

[End of Update]

We can no longer stand idly by as people hide behind the First Amendment to commit crimes or acts of sedition.

Vandalism is a crime, it is not an expression of free speech. WUA has pointed out time and time again examples of how the anti-war left have committed crimes against patriotic expression.

Enough is enough.

The following is just the latests in a long line of attacks on our veterans and their families.

No more.

Veterans' Day Vandals Touch a Nerve
Sunday, Nov. 11, 2007 By DAVID VON DREHLE/KANSAS CITY

Broken flags await sorting and repair in front of the Bender residence in Kansas City, Missouri - Chuck France

Almost as soon as Ann and Don Bender marked the 4th of July by planting a field of more than 3,500 flags — one for each of the American troops killed in Iraq— the elements began to take a toll. The baking sun and sudden storms of a Great Plains summer left the little flagsticks warped and broken and the fabric bleached and torn.

But that was nothing compared to the damage done in the dark hours of Sunday morning by vandals who kicked down thousands of the flags and left behind a cardboard sign with a single word splattered in red spray paint: "MURDERERS."

"You'll have to excuse me, sir, for crying," said a big bear of a man named Andy Enders as he stood by the remains of what had been "the most beautiful memorial ever created by private citizens, in my opinion."

Other veterans and passersby were busy picking up fallen flags, piling up Old Glorys by the hundreds, smoothing the flags, stacking the stomped sticks and wondering what will be salvaged of the display that has moved and intrigued this town for months.

Its power lay in its simplicity. The Benders live on six tree-shaded acres along one of Kansas City's main thoroughfares, called State Line Road because it marks the boundary between Missouri and Kansas. Thousands of drivers pass their home each day. In the long stretch of grass between the road and their white rail fence, they placed flags to mark the rising toll of the war, with a hand-printed sign at each end of the field displaying the total. On Sunday, the signs said 3,860.

If you wish to protest the war, that's fine, that's your right and your perrogative. We, the veterans of this nation, actually served in our nations armed forces so that you HAD that right. We may disagree with you, but YOU ARE ASSURED THAT RIGHT because of veterans.

When protest breaks down into acts of vandalism, that's another story. You've become criminals.

I call for ALL veterans in this nation to stand vigil, and when you know acts of vandalism have taken place in your home towns, come together and demand justice.

We were trained to operate as units and teams.

That training doesn't go away just because we take off our uniforms and hang our Class A's in the closet.

To the cowards who kicked over the flags here: Justice will find you out.

Once and Always, a VERY HIGHLY PISSED OFF American Fighting Man


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