http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-opinion/ci_12657754

Republicans artifacts complaints outrageous

Staff Writer
Posted: 06/20/2009 11:56:45 PM MDT

Editor,

Once again Republicans reveal, through statements by Orrin Hatch and Bob
Bennett, their outrageous hypocrisy by complaining about the police arrests
of elderly white people, et al. for looting Indian artifacts. Apparently
Hatch and Bennett don't have a problem with white people ripping off the
cultural heritage of Native Americans. Nothing in their statements deplored
the actual ongoing criminal activity, just the fact that the justice system
took action.

Republicans have promoted themselves as the party of "law and order" for
decades. What they mean is setting the justice system against the
impoverished and people of color to maintain order for their overwhelmingly
white constituents. How many people of color live in gated communities in
the U.S.? Damn few.

Age and European ethnicity are hardly a guarantee against violent and
criminal acts. Both the recent terrorist attacks in the U.S., the cowardly
murders of Dr. George Tiller and security guard Steven T. Johns at the
Holocaust Museum, were perpetrated by elderly white men.

In this day and age the police must assume that everyone they arrest may be
armed (as the behest of the NRA) and willing to use deadly force,
particularly when they have a warrant to raid a home to find contraband.

Artifacts may be extremely valuable, in many cases worth more pound for
pound than refined drugs such as crack cocaine or methamphetamine.

To assume that the criminals involved in this trade would just be gentle
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elderly people willing to surrender quietly would be an incredibly foolish
mistake for the officers involved.

Shame on Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett and anyone who thinks their ilk have a
case with their complaints about the police assuring their own safety in
this matter.

DAV MAR
Farmington