New Capitol idiot | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

According to "Utahns dare federal government to enforce gun control" (Tribune, Jan. 20), newly elected Rep. Brian Green, R-Pleasant Grove, plans to "unveil legislation next week giving local sheriffs the power to arrest any federal agent attempting to seize firearms from Utah residents." What?!

Why do Utahns keep electing idiots like this? Putting aside that no one is proposing such a law, the Constitution clearly gives federal laws supremacy over local laws, and the issue of states nullifying a federal law was forcibly put down by President George Washington in arresting Pennsylvania's whiskey rebels, then by Andrew Jackson, and definitely (but apparently not finally) by the Civil War.

As a graduate of Brigham Young University's political science department and then its law school, Greene must know this (at least, he should know this). So why is he shouting such nonsense to a 1,500-strong crowd at the Capitol?

We all know the reason, and it's not to bring respectful ("civil" is the word Mormon leaders counsel), rational discourse, leadership and problem-solving to Utah. BYU's law school should be embarrassed by this graduate, and so should voters in Pleasant Grove.

Surely the Republicans can field better candidates.

Terry Hill

Salt Lake City