Letter: End BLM policing | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I have never understood the Tribune's longstanding love affair with federal government policing of public lands in Utah. The editorial ("Comparing the feds to the Nazis doesn't solve anything," July 26) is just one more example. Clearly there is a need, at the federal level, for certain law enforcement agencies. But, public lands federal police? No way.

It's a bad idea that's done nothing but get worse with time. It's an idea that flies in the face of the Tenth Amendment of the U. S. Constitution. With very little research into the writings and dialogue creating the Constitution, it becomes clear the intent was that government services related to law enforcement and policing was to be left to state and local government exclusively.

Contrary to the Tribune's negative view on Congressman Chris Stewart's efforts to defund BLM law enforcement, I applaud his efforts as the quickest way to bring this long standing issue to the proper resolve. Let local government do what it does so much better than the Feds, take care of policing ourselves. The BLM should follow what their own law very clearly instructs them to do and contract with the state and locals for enforcement services.

Ed Phillips

Kanosh