Letter to the Editor: Stand Tall

By PAUL YOUNG St. George

Dear Editor:
The five leading daily newspapers printed in Utah all have ran their editorial comments or articles in large print with bold highlighted lettering, making their articles an attention-catcher to the reader. Belittling and condemning with censorship by their bold written articles with the definite attitude of disapproval of the actions taken by Kane County Sheriff Lamont Smith and County Commissioner Mark Habbeshaw.
As I read their articles, I was dumb founded that our newspapers, the voice of America, could forget so quickly and censure those officials in Kane County for taking exactly that same position as those men on April 17, 1775 took. They made their first active move of protest against the British encroaching on the rights of American Citizens living in Concord. These men stood on our side of the Concord by the bridge that spanned it and took sniper shots at the British, who were marching up the road on the opposite side, intending to use the bridge to cross the river and physically search every house with intent to confiscate every weapon, bullet and powder, including swords from the established, peaceful residents of Concord.
These men defied over 3,000 British soldiers, forcing them to retreat, giving the people of Concord and surrounding areas the time necessary to arm themselves. By the actions of that day, every law abiding citizen can keep a powder-firing weapon in his home, legally.
I write, asking the editors of these papers if there is a difference of the encroachments of rights by the British on to those people at Concord than that of the BLM guided and prompted by the environmental groups against Kane and Garfield counties, and the stand the Sheriff and Commissioner took? Please explain.
The road the sheriff and the commissioner removed the signs from was a RS 2477 road that was built before 1976, authorized by an act of the US Congress in 1876 which states that the US Congress does give and grant all counties that right to build roads for the citizens of that county to use. I would hope the commissioners would now send out a road patrol and grade it.
Is there a difference in the spirit and intention these two Kane County men took, than that of a handful of American patriots who on Dec. 16, 1773 boarded three ships in the Boston Harbor and threw all tea overboard, demonstrating against the British and their self-levied high export taxes?
I was disappointed that Gov. MIke Leavitt turned his back along with the Association of County Government who also turned their heads against Kane County. I am glad Pres. Bush called Gov. Leavitt to take another politically right position.
I cannot help but recall a comment by Thomas Payne, “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier, the Sun Shine Patriots will shrink from the service of his county.” Those two men from Kane County did not shrink from the service of their country, but responded with a positive, patriotic spirit that does not fit Payne’s classification.
(BLM tyranny is not easily conquered. Neither is extreme radical environmentalism.)
To those other silent county commissioners that fit into the group Rev. Martin Luther King refers to when he gave his speech on the stairs of the Lincoln Memorial, “History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition is not the strident clamor of the bad people (BLM and radical environmentalists) but rather, the appalling silence of the good people.” (Meaning Gov. Leavitt, the Association of County Government and other county commissioners that have their heads turned and look the other way.)
Sheriff Lamont Smith and Commissioner Habbeshaw, you stand tall in your boots in my eyes.