Zion has its own kinds of controversies. A few weeks ago, federal law enforcement agencies made a series of arrests based on indictments for stealing archeological and religious artifacts from federal property -- grave robbery and related thefts. Most of those arrested are from the Blanding area. In essence, what they are accused of doing is hunting artifacts on federal land, digging the material up, and then selling it. During the investigation, there was the usual bravado talk of guns and resisting arrest. Arrests are made, of some prominent citizens of the county. Bit of an uproar, then, which gets a bit more vociferous (not really louder as there just aren't that many people in the county), when some of the indicted commit suicide. In particular the local doctor (who had been arrested and acquitted on a previous charge of disturbing graves). Well, that set off the real controversy, and led the sheriff to join in the brouhaha. It seems that during the arrests, some of the arresting officers made "smart ass remarks." And that warrants an investigation by the sherriff. (Coincidence that one fo those arrested was Sheriff Lacey's brother?) I do not know what statute might be involved, or how one could enforce it against federal officers, but live and learn. (No statute -- the investigation is to prepare a complaint to the federal authorities. Apparently tax revenues are high in San Juan county, at least enough of a surplus to spend law enforcement money on investigating smarty pants talk.) Smart ass remarks from the police?! Apparently such behaviors which should be confined to arresting pot smokers and shoplifters? Sheriff Lacey is not alone. Senators Hatch and Benson have asked for investigations -- on the chance, I suppose, that there has been a frame-up, part of that well-known conspiracy by the federal government to persecute rural resident? doctors? what? It is a Zion kind of story.
And then there is the defense in the letters to local papers -- the conduct was okay because it was a way of life there in Blanding. Make for a good slogan -- "Blanding, where grave robbing and theft are a way of life." One wonders about the reaction to digging up graves of Mormon settlers. One wonders about the defense -- is it just that the law does not apply there? Is it an effort to revive the glory days of southern Utah as home of the criminal elite?
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