There are plenty of folks who puff up and let everyone know just how
abhorrent looting is, and I'm sure it will occur again in this thread;
however, in the context of criminal prosecution, owning a 30 year old
collection of anything doesn't seem that important to me.
Incidentally, Texan justice works for me. Just curious though, in your
opinion would this include all who show up with shovels to despoil human
graves?
I'm with you Bob. Let's get some armed Texans on that border down there, and
put some of that Texan justice on the dope smugglers while we're at. Hell,
let's enlist some of those same boys to track down the thousands of serial
pedophiles and murderers in this country. Surely, this vastly more
prevalent criminal behavior should make our hit parade? Come to think of
it, why don't we let the Texans take care of the Gitmo problem?
There are plenty of crimes underway in Utah far worse than collecting and or
owning artifacts. It is ludicrous to suggest that this should even show up
on the radar of a responsible Justice Department that understands its
priorities and is doing its job. Surely you would agree that there are more
urgent criminal matters on their plate that they're pushing aside? No, this
is just headline grabbing publicity that this Utah office and prosecutor are
after. This prosecution really only generates the kind of noise that
pleases the few people who rank artifact collecting among the worst crimes.
According to the article, there are more people against this than for it.
In the end, a prosecution like this one supplants the real work that this
prosecutor should be doing.
I'm not a collector, and I don't particularly care for them as a whole.
Agreed, the hobby of collecting attracts all kinds including bad elements
and criminals. But, I'd sure rather see my government try to put an end to,
or even a dent in, some of the more pressing problems of society. And
again, there is plenty of work right there in Utah that is being bypassed
for this bullshit.
Whenever collecting is discussed on a list like this one, the talk always
turns to grave robbing and looting as if this is the sum of all collecting.
Truth is, looters are a relatively small element of the collecting
community. Let's not forget that people collect all sorts of things; some
of which aren't even currently considered artifacts. These collectors in
Utah didn't expect that their hobby of collecting would someday become
socially unacceptable when they began it three decades ago, and maybe this
doesn't excuse them, but they aren't all pond scum either.
Regards,
Rich Green
Historic Archaeological Research
4338 Hadley Court
West Lafayette, IN 47906
Office: (765) 464-8735
Mobile: (765) 427-4082
www.har-indy.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Skiles" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: Indian Artifact Looting Case Unsettles a Utah Town
Graverobbers are criminals and the lowest form of life (lower than pond
scum, in my book). The next lowest are the people who buy artifacts from
graverobbers and display them like trophies in their homes. It's good to see
that at least one federal prosecutor is finally treating them like what they
are ... common, lowlife criminals. Upstanding "ordinary" citizens (as you
aver) don't dig-up and despoil human graves to gather trinkets for their
collections (and for venal gain) just because it's always been done that way
(lots of folks' grand-daddies around here usta own other people, but we all
know that's wrong, now).
I was just reading over a contemporary account of the Great Hurricane that
wiped-out Galveston in 1900 ... the U.S. Army and National Guardsmen who
were called in to assist with rescue (and to prevent looting after the
disaster) had orders to shoot-on-sight anyone found robbing the bodies of
the thousands of victims that washed-up on the beaches ... and they din't
hesitate carrying out those orders!
How is what this cabal of ghouls in Utah doing any different than stealing
from the dead in Galveston 110-years-ago? I think it's worse because we are
ostensibly more civilized, less racially prejudiced ... and we're supposed
to know better!
Perhaps it would be a more effective deterrent to post snipers guarding the
native cemeteries and provide everyone who shows-up with a shovel and starts
digging some summary Texian justice?
Bob Skiles
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rich Green" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 5:08 PM
Subject: Re: Indian Artifact Looting Case Unsettles a Utah Town
> This is just another case of the U.S. government shooting fish in a
> barrel.
> Law enforcement can't even begin to stop tons of white powder and millions
> of illegal aliens from entering the country, but they can sure round up,
> embarrass and treat ordinary citizens like hardened criminals.
>
> This is the same government that doesn't believe in subjecting terrorists
> to
> "harsh interrogation", or even calling them terrorists. It's a lot easier
> to arrest otherwise respectable citizens and leading members of a
> community
> for collecting artifacts.
>
> Maybe if they already did their job, and were running out of crimes to
> prosecute, the Justice Department should go after parties guilty of
> ongoing
> looting. But since they do a pretty crappy job, even at arresting
> legitimate looters too, it seems a bit far fetched to pursue and arrest
> people with pre-existing collections. What's next?
>
> Rich Green
> Historic Archaeological Research
> 4338 Hadley Court
> West Lafayette, IN 47906
> Office: (765) 464-8735
> Mobile: (765) 427-4082
> www.har-indy.com
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "geoff carver" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 4:29 PM
> Subject: Indian Artifact Looting Case Unsettles a Utah Town
>
>
>> Unforeseen consequences of looting:
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/21/us/21blanding.html?_r=1&hp
>>
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