Mike Lee won the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate in part because of help from the Tea Party Express, and still has the endorsement posted on his campaign blog. That is even after the group’s director, Mark Williams, has been widely condemned for a racist rant disguised as a satirical letter. The “letter” was posted on Williams’ blog July 16 and was written as if it were from “colored people” to Abraham Lincoln, in which they ask to maintain slavery. In Williams’ mind, this was a proper commentary about the dependence of blacks on the government. Yet, Lee is still touting the endorsement, when he should be denouncing Williams and proving that he loves the 14th Amendment and the Bill of Rights more than the three-fifths rule for slaves.
Charges have been dropped against eight people who were cited in 2009 for soaking naked in the Diamond Fork Hot Springs. As detailed in City Weekly (“Naked Zeal,” Dec. 17, 2009), Utah County Sheriff’s deputies issued lewdness citations because public nudity is prohibited in the county. However, a U.S. Forest Service sign on the trail leading to the springs informed hikers that “Nudity is Not Prohibited” and it was well-known that visiting the hot springs could at least mean shedding inhibitions about nudity, even if a person does not strip down. While the Forest Service has posted new signs that are in line with the prudish county law, the Sheriff’s Office, at least this time, had the sense to step away from their overzealous prosecutions of people enjoying nature in the altogether.
A split within the local Minute Men organization proves that compassion and fairness are not part of the platform, at least for some members. At the group’s upcoming meeting on July 22, motions may be made to expel Alex Segura—a co-founder who does not have any formal leadership position—because Segura dared denounce a list of more than 1,300 names of supposedly illegal immigrants, which includes children and people who are in the country legally. Even worse, he did it with Hispanic activist Tony Yapias. “The List” was released illegally by workers in the Utah Dept. of Workforce Services, who some Minute Men have since called “patriots.” Apparently, the whole “rule of law” argument only goes one way.
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Josh
Loftin:
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