A CALL TO ACTION!
Hypocrites
My reading of the New Testament indicates, that of all of the sins perpetrated by his many believers, hypocrisy was condemned more by Jesus than any other. That is why I was really struck by the amount of such behavior projected by the wholly Mormon owned and operated KSL-TV. Leading up to and continuing through the fourth of July and preceding the July 24th celebration, KSL went to considerable trouble and expense to demonize the gathering of the Rainbow people which occurred in our great state three years ago. From interviewing Wyoming State officials because a small number of young future attendees for applying for welfare benefits, to traveling up North to Idaho to visit last years camp site which showed (horror of horrors) former traces of fire rings and where they had dug their latrine. Everyday there was another feature story meant to stigmatize and alarm the people of Utah and Southwest Wyoming about the approaching menace. The only real crime that I could discern these people dressed funny and had very unusual beliefs and behaviors, sort of reminded me of a previous “cult” which invaded Utah some 156 years before. This group was notorious for dressing and talking kind of funny, having unorthodox religious beliefs and having multiple wives.
I am sure the irony of the whole thing was totally missed by those spending millions of your tax payer dollars requiring the Utah State Highway Patrol SWAT team camp out near the site for a number of days, nor the Federales spending tens of millions of tax dollars to transport, feed and house, hundreds of Forest Service employees to Utah along with their vehicles, passing a new ordinance only applicable to the Wasatch/Cache National Forest making it a crime to have an unleashed dog within their realms. So many hundreds of tickets for said offense as well as parking a private vehicle anywhere on (including the shoulder) of a forest service road (which also included towing numerous vehicles to Evanston), that a Federal Judge set up shop near the whole event. This event was government harassment at its worst. It they had tried the same techniques on more normal folks the outrage would have been thunderous. Need I mention that this group (which does not believe in having any leadership) has a long history of being the most environmentally responsible as well as peaceable group that the Forest Service had ever scene. My wife and I decided to act as witnesses to this shameful event and what I saw sickened me. For the most part I am an ardent supporter of law enforcement. They have a very difficult job which rarely receives any thanks. What occurs yearly at sites all across the country where this group meets to meditate and pray for peace as well as engage in fellowship and to worship how their conscience dictates is a travesty indeed.
In a recent HJ (AP) article covering the same type of harassment visited on these folks this year at their gathering. It warmed my heart to know that our fearless leaders and protectors of the faith were ensuring that these people would continue to be persecuted for exercising the rights to peacefully assemble and to worship as they see fit. May God forgive us what we do, because in that we do to the least of us we do to his son!
Peace
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